Angel on the Devil's Dance Floor
by xMorbidxAngelx
Summary: - "Socrates learned to dance when he was seventy because he felt than an essential part of him had been neglected." - Anon.
1. Chapter 1

"_**We're fools whether we dance or not, so we may as well dance."**_

_**~ Japanese Proverb ~**_

**Chapter I**

_A vision in a sky blue dress twirled across the floor, the long dress swaying with each movement the woman made. White flowers had been embroidered into the bodice of the dress and it left the woman's shoulders and back bare before falling in a full circle from her hips to her ankles. The duo who danced across the room almost seemed to create a scene that would remind little girls of fairy tales and they had the young girls in the audience watching in awe as they glided from one side of the room to the other. When the dance ended, one dark haired little girl in the front row turned to her parents who sat beside her with a bright smile. _

"_When I grow up, I'm going to dance just like that lady!" the girl said with such fierce determination that her parents smiled. _

"_I'm sure you'll be just as good as she is," her mother said, ruffling her daughter's hair. _

It was now seventeen years later and that same girl stood quietly beneath a tree, watching the rain fall from the heavens. She smiled as she remembered the day she had said that and her smile grew when she remembered her parents' responses. Sighing softly as a raindrop landed on her head, she looked away from the poor weather that had trapped her under the tree. It wasn't a bad place to be trapped, she was sure she could think of worse if she put her mind to it, but she counted herself lucky that this happened to be one of her favourite places. Slowly, her brown eyes drifted over her surroundings before landing on the monument that lay at her feet. The cemetery was peaceful and empty except for the few people who wondered between headstones under umbrellas and the woman sighed again as she knelt down on the damp grass and ran her fingers gently over the letters engraved into the marble surface.

"**Here lie Tsujimoto Kazuo, Yukiko and Minoru."**

There was nothing else written but the three names of the people most important to her. Tsujimoto Rin allowed a single tear to trail down her cheek as she remembered her father, mother and brother with a fond smile before pushing herself to her feet and dusting herself off. With a final glance at the headstone at her feet, she turned her back and walked away through the rain, pulling her coat closer around her after promising to return soon.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin sighed softly as she stepped through the door of her home an hour later. As she peeled off her damp coat, she didn't notice the older woman who came into the hall to see who had come in.

"Hello, dear," she said with a smile before heading back to the kitchen. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon."

"Classes finished early today," Rin said as she followed the woman into the kitchen.

There was no reply as Rin sat down at the kitchen table and watched as the woman moved around the kitchen preparing the evening meal for the rest of the family. The Ishikawa family had adopted her after her parents and brother had tragically died in a car accident when she was only five years old. Despite the fact that they had adopted her, Rin had decided to keep her own surname instead of taking theirs and had been glad when they had been more than willing to let her keep her own name if she wanted to. Although Hibiki Ishikawa was seen as the head of the family, although Rin knew that it was his wife, Nanami, who kept everything in order. Hibiki and Nanami had three other children aside from their adopted daughter which made Rin even more grateful to them for that they had done for her. At nearly 22 years of age, Rin was the third youngest of all the children.

Miki was the youngest at 17 and had not been born yet when Rin was taken into the family, but the girl had still embraced Rin like a sister when she was old enough to understand the truth of the situation. Then there were her two older siblings. Ren was the eldest at 28. Unlike his other three siblings, he had left the family home several years ago to live with his long term girlfriend who was soon to be his wife. Kind and gentle by nature, it was Ren who Rin would run to whenever she was upset when she was younger. There had been countless times when he had had to put aside his studies to comfort her when someone had said harsh things to her at school as a little girl and even when she was teenager she would still seek him out at times, although not very often.

While Ren was the one who had given her comfort, it was Jirou who had spent more time with her than any of his siblings. The second son was only three years older than Rin and had taken it upon himself to be her guardian. Somehow he had managed to walk her to and from school everyday even during the brief period when she had yet to enter high school. As a result of their close ages, Jirou had been the first to notice how popular Rin had become with the male population of school when she was a teenager. Needless to say, the protective side of him had been outraged at the sight of all the boys crowding around her, all vying for her attention and it soon become common knowledge throughout the school that Tsujimoto Rin was off limits to everyone and that she also seemed to have a rather scary older brother who always seemed to have his eye on her. Thus, Rin had lived a rather sheltered life, but had been well looked after and couldn't have asked for a better family.

A hand landing on her head brought Rin from her memories of her siblings and she looked up to see Jirou towering over her, his brilliant green eyes hidden from view by his long dark hair. Grinning, she got to her feet and gave him a hug, welcoming him home.

"He may have looked out for you, but I was your shoulder to cry on. Do I not get the same welcome?" a deep voice asked in mock sadness.

"Ren!" Rin squealed in delight, launching herself towards her eldest brother, having not seen him in quite a while.

Ren laughed and returned her hug before sitting beside her at the table, sighing in relief to finally be off his feet. He closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, he found Jirou and Rin playfully arguing about something and couldn't help shaking his head. Some things didn't change.

"So," Ren said, interrupting the arguing siblings. "What were you doing today, Rin?"

"I had classes most of the day," she said with a smile and sat back in her chair.

"Classes? When did you start university?" Ren asked with a puzzled expression.

"I didn't. I mean dance classes. We're putting together a show so my class has been having extra practices lately."

"I see. I'll be coming to see that then."

"That's probably not a good idea," Miki said, coming into the room and standing behind her sister with a grin.

"Why not?" Jirou frowned. "I'll be going too."

"You especially don't want to go to," the youngest sibling said with a laugh as she pointed at Jirou. "She dances with boys you know."

Rin looked over her shoulder at her sister and frowned slightly. She had been dancing for many years, but it was only in the past two years that she had gotten to the level she was at now and she didn't need her brothers ruining it for her because they were over protective. Sighing softly, she chanced a glance at her brothers and gulped as looked at her with expressions that were asking her to tell them that Miki was only joking. She wanted to say that it was a joke, but also knew that she couldn't lie to them.

"Well, it wouldn't look half as good if it was just two women dancing together, would it?" she said, hoping that the conversation would end there.

"I suppose not," Jirou conceded. "But we're still coming to that performance."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It was very late when Rin finally got to bed that night. Everyone had been so happy about being altogether for the first time in a long time that they had decided to celebrate long into the night. Sighing wearily, she sank down onto the edge of her bed and looked around her dark room before turning the light on. Her eyes landed on the silver photograph frame that sat on the table beside her bed and she smiled as she picked it up. The picture showed her two best friends, Inuyasha and Kagome Taisho, on their wedding day only a few months before. Kagome had given her a copy of the picture and she had immediately framed it, not only because it was her friends, but because it showed everyone.

Her slim fingers drifted over the faces behind the glass, naming each one as she passed until they landed Inuyasha's brother, Sesshoumaru. Rin chided herself about the way her breath caught in her throat from just looking at a photograph of the man, but she couldn't help herself. The man was truly a god in human form and she was not the only one who thought so. Unfortunately for her, that same man was as cold as ice and had the same emotional capacity as a rock. He was so quiet that it frustrated the normally quiet woman and so vague with his words that she would probably have a more interesting conversation with herself. All in all, the man annoyed her immensely, but she still couldn't help it when her heart fluttered at the mention of his name or when her breath caught in her throat at the sight of him. She was quite sure that if he should ever have a proper conversation with her, she would most likely pass out from either shock or joy. However, Rin knew that her chances of having a conversation with him were very low and the chances of him ever noticing her instead of all the other beauties that usually surrounded him were ever lower.

Putting the picture back on the table, Rin rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. She had known Sesshoumaru for almost as long as she had known Inuyasha but he had never once made the effort to acknowledge her existence. Perhaps he had never noticed her on account of how quiet she could be at times? Regardless, she still wished that some magical being would appear in front of her and cast a spell upon her to make her as beautiful as all the other women who seemed to catch his eye. She closed her eyes and rolled beneath the covers, her last thought before succumbing to sleep was that the she should be grateful that his sister attended the same dance school as herself and that upped the chances of her seeing him.


	2. Chapter 2

"_**Life is a dance, from one stage to the next."**_

**~Anonymous~**

**Chapter II**

Sesshoumaru sighed as he approached his parents' home, the sound of crunching gravel beneath his tyres announcing his arrival. He didn't mind taking his sister, Izumi, to her dance lessons, but he found the time he had to spend waiting for her rather boring. He lifted his hand in greeting as he saw the slim figure that was his sister slip out the front door and run towards the car with a smile. Sometimes he wondered how he and Inuyasha had ended up with a sister like her. She truly was a combination of the best traits from her parents whereas both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha seemed to have gotten their traits from neither of their parents. The brothers looked alike, much to their displeasure, but that's where similarity ended. Izumi, on the other hand, was different. She had her mother's long dark hair and her father's amber eyes and she inherited her patience from her mother and her sense of humour from her father. The girl amazed Sesshoumaru and he found it even harder to believe that she was already eighteen years old.

"I'm sorry to have to ask you to take me to class," Izumi said with an apologetic smile. "I know you get bored."

"It's alright."

Izumi led the way into the building where she danced and Sesshoumaru was inclined to believe that it was far too big for a single dance school, but he soon discovered that the building housed several large studios that were rented out to different dance schools. Sighing to himself, he followed his sister through the maze of corridors, growing increasingly annoyed at the whispering all the women were doing when they recognised him. Being the centre of attention did not sit well with him especially when he was forcibly put in the spotlight as he was now, but he knew from experience that he couldn't do anything about it. Women would stare at him, some would throw themselves at him and others would keep their feelings to themselves, he found that the latter group were by far the easiest to handle.

"You're early, Izumi!" a female voice called from across one of the studios they walked into.

A slim middle aged woman walked across the room to greet Izumi with a smile. Sesshoumaru assumed she was the instructor as she had been surrounded by a group of younger girls only moments before. The woman stopped beside them and smiled fondly at Izumi before turning her attention to Sesshoumaru.

"Who's this?" She asked, looking at him carefully. "Don't your parents normally come to class with you?"

"They're busy today," Izumi said and smiled at her brother. "This is Sesshoumaru, my eldest brother."

"It's a pleasure to finally meet one of Izumi's infamous brothers! I'm Akira, Izumi's teacher."

Sesshoumaru nodded at the woman, hoping she wasn't expecting a long conversation and was relieved when she excused herself a moment later to finish her class. Izumi started to walk towards some tables that had been set out in one of the corners of the room and sat down in a chair at the first table she got to. Sesshoumaru sat beside her, looking around the room briefly before pulling his laptop out and placing it on the table in front of him.

"You're going to work?" Izumi asked, leaning over in an attempt to see what he was working on.

"I'm going to try."

"You work too much as it is," she sighed and smiled at him in a manner he had come to associate with her being worried about him.

Choosing not to reply, he looked down at the screen while Izumi disappeared to get changed. When she returned, she was dressed in a leotard with a black silk skirt wrapped around her hips. Sesshoumaru watched as she carefully folded her clothes and placed them in her bag as she pulled out a pair of shoes. For a moment he wondered what they were for and then his eyes widened imperceptibly as she started to strap her feet into them.

"You dance in those?" he asked, unable to hide his amazement when he saw that they were not flat like he had assumed.

"Of course. I don't dance bare foot anymore, you know," Izumi replied with a grin.

"Don't you fall over trying to dance in those?"

"Not anymore."

The sound of the studio doors opening stopped him from replying as he turned his attention to the newcomers. The sound of feminine voices met his ears and his eyes landed on a trio of women making their way towards a table nearby. Two of the women walked past, not once pausing to glance the siblings. The third woman walked at a slower pace than her friends and as she passed their table, she smiled and waved at Izumi before moving on. From the corner of his eye, Sesshoumaru could see a look of admiration on Izumi's face that was clearly directed at the last woman and smirked.

"Who're they?" he asked casually, looking back down at his screen.

"They have a lesson after mine; they normally come early to help with other classes when Akira needs them."

There was silence between them for a moment before Izumi left his side to start her lesson, leaving Sesshoumaru to his own devices. He found his eyes wondering and eventually landing on the woman he had seen only a few moments before and focused on her. She too had a laptop in front of her and was typing away at such a rapid pace that her slim fingers were almost a blur. As he watched her, he realised that she seemed familiar, but he couldn't place where he knew her from or if indeed he knew her at all. Sighing, he pushed the though away and turned his attention to the class in process.

The class ended so soon that Sesshoumaru wondered if it had truly been an hour long. Once again, Izumi disappeared to change, leaving him to look around the class as the next class made their way towards the dance floor. The woman who had smiled at Izumi earlier walked past him on the way towards the water fountain nearby and he found himself watching her. His eyes trailed down her slim shoulders to an equally slim waist and then lower to a shapely derriere and long slender legs that looked amazing in her high heeled shoes. Izumi's return to the table brought his attention away from the woman. They sat in silence while Sesshoumaru watched his sister packing her dance clothes away, but he raised an eyebrow when she jumped slightly.

"You did well today, Izumi," the woman said with a smile as she placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Thanks." Izumi blushed, but smiled at the compliment.

"See you at practice tomorrow." The woman smiled at her once more, nodded at Sesshoumaru briefly and disappeared onto the dance floor.

The pair sat in silence on the way home, each lost in their own thoughts. Sesshoumaru had to admit that the woman was pretty and he didn't admit that about many women, but there was something about her that set him at ease. It was obvious that she was a good person and it was also obvious that she seemed to be keeping an eye on Izumi. For some reason, he found that he was happy with the idea of a woman like her looking over his sister and somehow he knew that no harm would come to Izumi while that woman was looking on. Not that he suspected Izumi could really do too much damage to herself at a class with so many professional people around.

"You look like Inuyasha when he's around Kagome," Izumi said with a giggle.

"I'm sorry?" Sesshoumaru frowned at her, not liking being compared to his brother.

"Nothing," she giggled again and pulled him from his chair and towards the exit.

Sesshoumaru wasn't entirely sure what Izumi had meant by that statement, but he was sure that it probably wasn't a good thing to look anything like Inuyasha. Izumi didn't seem to be eager to elaborate so he was left to ponder her words. It was only when they were nearly home that she spoke again.

"That was Rin," Izumi said quietly, looking out the window.

"Who was?" Sesshoumaru feigned ignorance.

"The woman you couldn't take your eyes off," she replied with a smirk.

"Hm."

Izumi laughed and then turned serious. "Be careful."

"With what?"

"Rin."

"I wasn't planning anything that involves her."

"She's really nice, but she's elusive."

"Oh?"

"She doesn't open up very much to new people and she's turned down nearly every man who's asked her out."

"I see."

"It's a shame though. She really deserves someone nice, but then maybe she's already found him."

"Possibly," Sesshoumaru agreed, not liking the image of Rin that his mind conjured up.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It had been two weeks since Sesshoumaru had taken Izumi to her dance lesson and now he sighed as he stood in front of the large mirror try to adjust his tie. It was the room he had used when he had lived in his parents' home and he was glad that it hadn't really changed that much since he had left. The king sized bed he had used had been moved from the centre of the room to the corner to accommodate a double bed in the other corner. He didn't really understand the point of having a double bed in the same room as a king sized one, but he wasn't going to question his step mother's decorating sense. He was surprised to find that a large antique wooden table had been placed between the two beds with two rather large and ugly looking lamps on top of it with a vase of fresh flowers between them. His step mother, Izayoi had truly gone through too much trouble to prepare his old room for him to use this night. If he was totally honest, he didn't like the new arrangement of his room and didn't like the idea of this room now being used as another spare room. He didn't like the idea of other people having slept in his bed, but he knew there was little he could do about it. The flowers on the table irked him all the more. Casting his mind back, he wondered when he had ever given Izayoi the impression that he liked flowers. Sesshoumaru did not like flowers, yes they were pretty to look at, but in his opinion they served very little use except from the aesthetic perspective. Once again, he sighed knowing it was probably best to keep his opinions on Izayoi's decoration skills to himself.

Sesshoumaru pulled on his suit jacket and wondered why he had to come to this confounded party that his parents were holding. Sometimes he hated being the son of one of the wealthiest men in the city. He always had to attend stupid meetings that didn't interest him in the slightest and now that he had been nominated as his father's successor, he had to attend social gatherings as well. The only slight consolation was that Inuyasha also had to attend even though he always tried to have as little to do with his father's company as possible. Izumi would be there too, although she was lucky enough to have a choice in the matter. He didn't really know what the purpose of tonight's party was, but decided that he didn't really care.

"You need to stop procrastinating," Izumi said with a smile as she leaned against the doorframe. "Most of the guests are already here."

"Hm."

Izumi couldn't help but laugh at her brother's obvious displeasure about the whole situation. Slipped her arm through his, they walked down to the conference room that had been turned into a ball room for the night.

"What will you do tonight?" Sesshoumaru looked down at his sister.

"Father invited a few people I know."

"He did?"

"One man has an interest in investing in the company, he brought his daughter with him tonight and she dances with me. I also made friends with some other women who were here last time."

"I see."

As they walked into the large room, Sesshoumaru fought the urge to groan at the number of people who were milling about. If this was only most of the guests, he wondered how everyone would fit into the room when all the guests had arrived. He could already see women fix their gaze on him and knew that this was going to be a long night. As Izumi disappeared from his side, Sesshoumaru sighed quietly, pushing his hands into his pockets as he scanned the room for a quiet place where he could sit and not be disturbed. There was no chance that he wouldn't be disturbed, so he decided that maybe alcohol would help the night pass quicker. He lifted a hand to lift a delicate crystal glass of champagne off a tray as a waiter passed by and made his way towards an area he deemed suitable.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin sighed as she weaved her way through the crowds of people to where Kagome and Inuyasha stood. She wore a knee length black dress that swayed as she walked and her high heeled shoes made her feel a bit better about being slightly smaller than most women. Kagome spotted her and waved her over with a grin.

"I thought you weren't going to come tonight," Inuyasha asked her with a grin when she finally reached them.

"I wasn't, but Father asked me to come with him since Mother's busy tonight."

"You look lovely, Rin!" Kagome exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her friend in excitement.

"Thanks, so do you." Rin said with a smile and she nodded a greeting as Izumi joined them with a smile.

"Where's that idiot brother of mine?" Inuyasha asked, looking around in search of Sesshoumaru. "I don't see why I have to come to this party when I don't have much to do with the company and he doesn't have to come when he's the successor."

"He is here," Izumi said and gestured to the corner of the room where Sesshoumaru sat, a glass in hand and his face contorted in barely concealed irritation at the flirtatious behaviour of the women around him. "I think he's trying to drink himself into a stupor."

"Whatever," Inuyasha said with a shrug. "Let's dance, Kagome."

Izumi and Rin were left behind as the newly married couple took to the floor. Kagome looked so happy that Rin wondered if she would ever experience happiness like that.

"They're well suited, don't you think?" Izumi asked quietly, her eyes also on the couple.

"They are. Makes me kind of jealous really," Rin admitted with a little smile.

"You're not in a relationship?" Izumi asked in surprise. She had been sure that someone like Rin would have been snatched up instantly.

"No, I haven't found the right man yet."

Izumi heard a slight sigh. "But there's one you want?"

"Doesn't every woman want a man she can't have?"

"I suppose so," Izumi replied quietly before looking at Rin again. "What's he like? Tall, dark and handsome?"

Rin laughed. "Well he is tall and definitely handsome, but he's not dark. He's just different from all the men I've liked before, I can't really explain it. It's an impossible dream though."

"Nothing's impossible if you try hard enough," Izumi murmured wisely. "Keep your hopes up a bit longer; you never know when an opportunity will show up."

"You're wiser than your years, Izumi," Rin said with a smile.

Eventually, Rin was left alone when Izumi left to mingle with the guests some more. She sighed and suddenly realised that she hadn't had a drink since she arrived and was feeling quiet thirsty. Not seeing a waiter nearby, she decided that she would just have to try and get to the refreshment table at the back of the room somehow. As Rin made her way towards the table, she heard her name and turned to see her father standing by the door beside Inutaisho, Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha's father. As quickly as possible, she made her way over to them.

"It's good to see you, Rin," Inutaisho said with a smile that showed his fondness for the girl. "I believe your father is trying to take you away from tonight's festivities," he teased Hibiki who stood beside him.

"Are you leaving already, papa?" she asked, returning the hug he gave her.

"I have work tomorrow," he replied with a smile. "Stay a bit longer, just be careful on the way home."

"Don't worry about that," Inutaisho said with a smile, wrapping an arm around Rin's slim shoulders. "If it's too late then she can stay here for the night."

"That's very kind of you," Hibiki replied. "I'll tell your mother."

After walking to the door with the two men, Rin hugged her father goodbye and stepped back, shivering slightly as the cold wind came in through the door. With an arm still wrapped around her shoulders, Inutaisho guided her back into the party room.

"Where were you off to when Hibiki called you?" he asked with a curious look.  
"Just to get a drink," Rin replied with a slight smile.

"Let's get you one then!" Inutaisho grinned.

The head of the Taisho household guided Rin slowly through the crowd with his arm still around her shoulders. Briefly, they stopped to talk to Izayoi and Rin smiled at the tall man who towered over her. She had known him for so long that he had become almost like a second father to her. However, she couldn't help but feel dwarfed by him, but then she felt dwarfed by the rest of his family as well since all of them, except Izumi, seemed to have inherited his height. As if sensing her gaze, Inutaisho looked down at her and grinned before setting off again in search of the refreshment table.

The refreshment table was in sight and they stood there for a moment while Rin chose her drink from the vast selection. Inutaisho frowned as his eyes landed on Sesshoumaru who was surrounded by empty glasses and flirtatious women. That was definitely not the sight he had wanted to see. He glanced down at Rin who stood beside him, sipping a glass of something red that he assumed was wine and an idea formed in his mind.

"Let's go," he said, wrapping an arm around the confused woman and leading her away.

Rin clutched the glass tightly and allowed herself to be led through the crowd. It was a lot easier to move in the room when Inutaisho was accompanying you, she noticed with a smile. However, her smile faded from her lips when her eyes landed on what appeared to be their destination. She was completely smitten with Sesshoumaru, but when it came to facing him, it was another matter entirely. He didn't know who she was and she was shy. The whole thing would end in disaster. Her eyes focused on Inutaisho's son as they drew closer and frowned at the sight of all the glasses. She wouldn't have thought that he drank alcohol very much.

"He must really be having a hard time with those women if he's drunk that much," Inutaisho muttered. "He rarely drinks any alcohol."

Rin couldn't form a reply because she was soon standing beside Inutaisho while he towered over his seated son with a raised eyebrow that showed his disapproval. The crowd of women around him fell silent and Rin felt a sudden tension in the air. Looking closer, it was easy to see that Sesshoumaru was more than a bit intoxicated and that surprised her. She never thought she would see the day when she would see him like this. He had barely touched any alcohol on his brother's wedding day and yet he was now drunk.

"So this is where you were," Inutaisho said.

"You were looking for me?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice slightly slurred.

"Of course we were! Do you know how long Rin's been looking for you?" the older Taisho said in a harsh tone.

There was a moment of silence as father and son stared at each other and the group of women landed angry gazes on Rin who was stunned at the statement. She hadn't been looking for him at all! Not sure what to do or say, Rin was about to say correct him when something he said earlier sounded in her mind. The women that sat around him must've been the ones giving Sesshoumaru a hard time and Inutaisho was simply giving his son a life line to get out of the situation. Now that she understood the situation, Rin felt more at ease. As soon as the women had disappeared, she could return to the party as she had intended to do and that would be the end of it.

"My apologies," Sesshoumaru said and rose to his feet, fixing his amber eyes on the petite woman beside his father. "I wasn't aware you were looking for me."

"I suspect you will have to come up with a better apology than that considering what you were doing when we finally found you," Inutaisho said, speaking for Rin who merely remained silent.

Although he had had quite a lot to drink, Sesshoumaru was not so drunk that he couldn't catch on to what his father was doing. He was truly very grateful to him and the woman he had pulled into the situation. His eyes narrowed slightly as he focused on her face and then widened when he recognised her. Rin. The Rin who danced with Izumi. So this was the person from her dance classes who attended with her father. He noticed that she looked slightly bewildered by the situation, but he was grateful that she had not said anything to refute his father's words.

"When I couldn't find you, I thought it best to remain in one place," Sesshoumaru said calmly.

Inutaisho shook his head. "I suggest you get some fresh air. Rin, will you see that he does?"

Rin stared at him in surprise for a moment, not sure how the situation had changed so quickly. She had already made enemies of the women who were eyeing her furiously in the background and agreeing to accompany Sesshoumaru outside would merely intensify their anger. Then she saw the expectant looks on both the men's faces and cursed her inability to refuse people. Resigned to her fate, she sighed silently and nodded. Inutaisho grinned happily, patted her on the back and walked away leaving Rin alone in the company of the man she cared for but couldn't confess to and four very upset women. Taking his cue, Sesshoumaru walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her snugly into his side before looking over his shoulders at the seated women.

"Excuse me, ladies."


	3. Chapter 3

"_**To dance is to be out of yourself. Larger, more beautiful, more powerful."**_

**~ Agnes De Mille ~**

**Chapter III**

Without a backward glance, Sesshoumaru was striding across the floor towards the nearest exit onto the balcony with Rin anchored to his side. She struggled to keep up with his long strides, but sighed in relief as they stepped out into the cold night air. The cold wind made her shiver, and she wondered what had possessed her to wear a sleeveless dress. The moment they were out of sight, Sesshoumaru let his arm drop from her waist and sat down heavily on the bench nearby. Rin, not knowing what to do, took a few steps backward and leaned against the stone railing of the balcony, arms wrapped around her as she tried to keep at least a little warmth in her shivering body.

"Thank you," Sesshoumaru said as he looked at her for the first time since they came outside.

"I… uh…" Rin stammered, feeling her shyness overwhelm her. She looked down at her feet, a blush staining her cheeks pink. "It's alright," she said in barely more than a whisper.

Sesshoumaru took this opportunity to have a good look at her, continuing his observation from the last time he had seen her. Her dark hair was thick and long, falling to her waist and her black dress was just tight enough to reveal luscious curves and the hint of voluptuous cleavage without being indecent. Long, slender fingers curled around her arms and it was only then that he realised she was shivering. Sighing to himself, he got to his feet and walked towards her, stripping off his jacket as he went. Rin looked up in surprise when she felt something fall against her shoulders.

"You should've said something if you were cold," Sesshoumaru said with a slight frown as she looked up at him.

"T-Thank you," she said quietly and pulled the jacket around her.

Rin watched as he leaned against the railing beside her, looking out over the gardens. Apparently the cool air had sobered him up a little bit, but she could still tell that he was bound to have a headache in the morning. He closed his eyes for a moment before opening them and fixing her with his amber gaze.

"You dance with Izumi?" he asked suddenly, his voice still slurred.

"Yes." Rin turned around to look at the gardens as well and smiled slightly. "She's very talented."

Sesshoumaru nodded but didn't reply, instead choosing to rest his head against his arms, not caring that he was showing weakness by doing so. Rin saw the movement from the corner of her eye and looked down at him, frowning in concern. Perhaps he didn't drink much because alcohol didn't sit well with him? Whatever the reason, he definitely didn't look well at the moment.

"Perhaps you should go to bed?" she suggested.

"I can't do that," Sesshoumaru looked up and his eyes widened slightly as they met her concern gaze. "I'm expected to stay until the end of the evening."

"Even if you're not well?" Rin frowned slightly.

"It doesn't matter. I'm fine."

Rin shook her head and smiled. "No, you're stubborn."

"I'm sorry?" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at her.

"You're too stubborn to admit you're not feeling well. Sometimes you have to show a little weakness," she replied with a gentle smile.

"Am I not doing so now?"

Rin ignored his question. "No one expects you to be immune to illness."

"But probably expect me to able to drink alcohol without being ill."

"So you intend to stay here all night then?"

"I have no choice."

Rin sighed and looked away from him. She knew that what he said made sense, but she couldn't accept that. Since she had been thrust into his company for seemingly the rest of the evening, she couldn't ignore his discomfort. Rin had visited this house enough times to know where the medicine was kept and she wondered if she could find something to help him. Turning to look at him, she made her decision.

"Wait here," she said and disappeared back into the party room.

Hearing her words, Sesshoumaru lifted his head in time to see her walking between the guests, still covered in his jacket. For a moment he wondered where she was going and as she stopped to talk to his father, he hoped she wasn't going to tell him that he was feeling unwell. Relief washed over him as she kept walking until she was out of the room. Shrugging away her curious behaviour, he looked over the gardens again, unable to get the picture of her in his jacket out of his mind. It seemed right somehow that it was his jacket she was wearing as the idea of it belonging to someone else didn't sit well with him for a reason he didn't try to understand.

While Sesshoumaru was busy thinking about her, Rin was making her way to the kitchen where she knew the Taisho family kept the medicines. She looked through the bottles and eventually decided that maybe an asprin was the best choice. Just as she had filled up a glass of water, a sound behind her made her turn around. Behind her stood the women who had been abandoned by Sesshoumaru earlier and they didn't look very happy.

"It seems you're alone," one of them said as she took a step towards Rin.

"Did he leave you too?" another asked with a smirk.

The first woman gestured from her companions to be silent. "You shouldn't have interfered. Do you know how close he was to getting so drunk he would have taken one of us to bed with him?"

"Is that what you were after?" Rin asked incredulously, unable to stop herself.

"But you got in our way and we don't think you should be here anymore."

"What?" Shock raced through Rin at the words, not sure how to interpret them.

"We'll give you five minutes after we leave this room to get your coat and leave. If you don't, we'll make the rest of the evening very unpleasant for you."

The woman left the room, giving Rin a look that said that they weren't joking and she slid down to the floor, her heart racing. She looked down at her hand and saw the asprin sitting on her palm. What should she do? Should she leave without a word or should she stay regardless and hope nothing bad happened? After an internal battle, she pulled herself to her feet shakily and picked up the water, heading back to where she had left Sesshoumaru.

"Here," she said quietly when she reached his side. "An asprin might help."

"Thank you."

There was silence between them and Sesshoumaru watched her from the corner of his eye. One delicate hand held the jacket around her while the other gripped the railing so tightly that her knuckles turned white. He frowned as he watched her look into the party room for a moment before looking away. Her face was pale which he knew had happened since she left as she had been rosy cheeked when she disappeared earlier.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as she threw another nervous look into the party room.

"Ah… N-No, of course not!" she said quickly, her voice slightly higher than before.

Not believing her, Sesshoumaru turned around to lean against the railing to he was looking into the room. For a moment he looked through the sea of people, looking for something that would make Rin nervous and eventually his eyes landed on some feminine faces that he remembered. This time though, their eyes were not looking at him. They were looking at Rin and he could sense the anger behind their glares even from this distance. Obviously they had said something to her while she was away and it had set her on edge. The very thought of it irked him.

"I can't take you home," Sesshoumaru said quietly as he turned his gaze to her.

"I-I'm sorry?" Rin stared at him, not sure what he was talking about.

"I'm not fit to drive at present," he said with a grimace and Rin immediately understood.

"D-Don't worry, it's fine," she smiled nervously, aware of the glares being sent her way.

"It's not though, is it?" Inutaisho's voice drifted over to them as he walked towards them.

"Father…"

"I'm sorry, Rin," he said with a frown. "I didn't mean to put you in this situation. I didn't know those women would behave like that."

"Y-You heard?" she stared.

"Every word. It's disgraceful."

Sesshoumaru looked from his father to Rin and was at a loss as to what his father had supposedly heard. He decided to remain silent though since he was probably not in his father's good books after drinking so much, but eventually, he couldn't help himself.

"How will you get home?" he asked Rin with a frown. "Did you not come with anyone?"

"My father already left," she said, pulling the jacket closer around her as the wind picked up.

"Then you have to take up my offer," Inutaisho said with a grin.

"I think I will," Rin said with a grateful smile.

"Good," Inutaisho smiled and then leaned towards them. "I think it's time both of you left and we can easily do it without causing suspicion."

"How do we do that?" Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at his father as he crossed his arms.

"When I leave, wait a little while and then come and find me claiming that Rin is ill. I'll excuse you and then you're free to do whatever you like."

Not waiting for any objections or questions, Inutaisho grinned at them and disappeared back into the party room leaving Rin and Sesshoumaru standing alone. Rin frowned and thought over the idea, slightly worried about the things that could go wrong.

"Will it work?" she asked quietly, biting her lip nervously.

"I suspect it will," Sesshoumaru said, looking at her from the corner of his eye. "Even his most badly thought out ideas seem to work for some reason."

Rin laughed. "That's good then."

After a few minutes, it was time to put the plan into action. Rin looked up at Sesshoumaru nervously when he wrapped an arm around her waist again and they made their way back inside. Almost as though he could sense her nervousness, Sesshoumaru tightened his grip slightly, trying to reassure her and was relieved when she relaxed slightly. Rin bit her lip when she saw the women direct another furious glare at her and suddenly wished that Sesshoumaru was not so popular with the women.

"Father." Rin was pulled from her thoughts when she heard Sesshoumaru speak, his deep voice sending a shiver down her spine.

"Yes?" Inutaisho turned away from the men he was speaking to.

"Rin is unwell, may we be excused?"

"Certainly!" The elder Taisho gave Rin a sympathetic look that would have fooled even her if the situation had been different. "I hope you recover soon."

"T-Thank you," she murmured, her face flushing slightly.

No sooner had the words left her lips; Rin was being swept out of the room. Moments later, she found herself standing in the hall beside Sesshoumaru, not knowing what was going to happen next. His arm fell from her waist and she suddenly felt sad that the charade was over. Even though it was only pretence, she had enjoyed being held by him. It was probably the closest she would ever get to him.

"I'll return in a moment, wait here."

Sesshoumaru left Rin in the hall as he went into the kitchen to fetch the rest of the asprins thinking that he would be needing them the next morning. He had been gone only a couple of minutes, but when he returned to the hall, he couldn't believe his eyes. The women who had been glaring at Rin for some time were now surrounding her, pushing her against a wall. For a moment he was still as he took in the sight, but when he saw Rin sink to the ground looking fearful, he decided that he'd had enough. He may still be intoxicated, but he could still do something to help her after what she had done from him.

"I would appreciate it if you would stop harassing her," Sesshoumaru said coldly, taking a step towards the group of women.

"Why?" One of them demanded. "What is she to you?"

"That's none of your business," he said as he pushed past them to where Rin sat on the flooring, looking at him in amazement.

The women took a step back as they saw the cold look in his eyes. They had thought his cold front would drop if he was drunk, but now they could see that they were wrong. Their eyes widened as he bent down and scooped Rin up into his arms effortlessly.

"If this happens again, you will regret it," Sesshoumaru warned, giving them a cold glare before turning around and making his way up the stairs, causing Rin to hastily wrap her arms around his neck for fear of falling.

Rin sat still in his arms as he made his way down the corridor, not knowing what to do or say. Her heart pounded in her chest and she knew that it wasn't entirely all to do with the women downstairs and quite a lot to do with the enigmatic man carrying her. Her eyes widened as he pushed open a door to a nearby bedroom and then kicked it shut behind him. She looked around for a moment and saw that this was clearly the room that he was using. Blushing slightly, she looked up at him to find him looking straight back at her.

"T-Thank you," she said quietly, looking down at the buttons on his shirt.

"Are you alright?" Sesshoumaru asked, ignoring her thanks as he frowned and looked her over carefully.

"I'm fine, thank you."

The pair stood in silence again as Rin struggled to control her blush. She knew that she didn't need to have her arms around his neck now that they were standing still, but she couldn't bring herself to pull them back. Sesshoumaru was looking down at her, watching as she struggled with her blush and smirked slightly. It felt right to be holding her like this and he was loath to let her go. She didn't seem to be protesting so he saw no problem, but it was awkward to just stand in the middle of the room like this. Sighing to himself, he made his way towards his bed and put her down on the end of it, already missing the feeling of her body against his.

"They didn't do anything to you?" Sesshoumaru asked, still not convinced that she was as fine as she said as he knelt in front of her.

"No," Rin looked back at him, touched by the concern she saw in his eyes.

"Good."

Sesshoumaru got to his feet and started to loosen his tie before dropped down into a chair nearby. Rin watched silently, not sure what to do. She could tell that he had sobered up a little more, but his voice was still slightly slurred. Remembering how unwell he had been earlier, concern flooded through her as she got to her feet and hurried over to where he sat, his jacket falling from her shoulders as she moved.

"Are you feeling any better?" she asked, standing beside him, looking down at him with a frown.

"A little bit," he replied, looking up at her.

Rin smiled in relief and turned around to sit on the bed again, but was stopped when a hand closed around her wrist. Pausing in surprise, she looked around to see her wrist held gently in Sesshoumaru's large hand. They looked at each other for a moment, neither saying a word and then Rin found herself tumbling forward. When she opened her eyes, she found herself staring straight into Sesshoumaru's eyes. For a moment she was confused and when she tried to sit up, realisation dawned and her eyes widened. She had been on her feet only seconds ago and was now straddling Sesshoumaru Taisho. The sudden change made her head spin.

Putting her hands on his shoulders, she pushed herself upright and suddenly realised that she had nowhere to look but straight into his eyes which were watching her with something that looked like amusement. Her breath caught in her throat when a hand lifted to brush her hair from her eyes and lingered on her cheek. Rin met his gaze uncertainly and was surprised when she saw lust in his eyes. Of all things that could have happened tonight, she would never have thought that this is how it would end. Deciding to try and bring back some propriety, she looked away, still blushing.

"What now?" Rin asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Sesshoumaru didn't reply, instead shifting slightly to sit up straight in his chair and causing Rin to look at him in surprise. Now they sat eye to eye and Rin realised that she was probably not going to get an answer from him. Almost as though he knew what she was thinking, Sesshoumaru lifted his hands to hers which still lay on his shoulders, gently running his fingers up her arms to her shoulders, smirking as she shivered slightly at his touch. Rin couldn't break eye contact as she felt his hands run slowly down her back to come to a stop at her hips. He smirked as he watched her face flush again and then ran one further down along her leg to her thigh while they other travelled back up her body to slip long fingers around the back of her neck, pulling her slowly down towards him.

Rin knew exactly what was going to happen, she had known the moment he had stepped through the door that there was a possibility of this happening. She couldn't deny that she had dreamt of this happening and now that it finally was, it overwhelmed her.

Slowly, she allowed herself to be pulled towards him and her heart leapt when she felt his lips against her own. It was a gentle kiss, just a peck, before Sesshoumaru pulled back just slightly to look at her. There was a brief moment of panic when she thought he would push her away, but instead, he pulled her forward and ravished her lips as the hand at her neck fell down to her waist to pull her closer. Unable to help herself, Rin slipped her arms around his neck and returned his kiss with equal fervour, allowing herself to be pulled against his broad chest. When the need for air became too great, the pair separated, their breathing uneven and hearts racing.

Sesshoumaru leaned his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes. He saw her desire but he also saw fear that he would reject her as easily as he rejected the women downstairs. His hand came up again to cup her cheek and he ran his thumb over her smooth skin for a moment before wrapping his arms around her in a fierce embrace. Rin gasped in surprise but soon relaxed against him resting her head against his shoulder. After a moment, Sesshoumaru pulled back and pressed a kiss against her lips before slowly trailing down her neck to her exposed shoulders, leaving tiny moist kisses in his wake. As he did so, his hands trailed down to her thighs again and he slipped his hands behind them, holding her in place as he lurched to his feet. Her eyes widened and she clutched his shoulders for support as he continued to nip and kiss her neck. She wrapped her legs tightly around his waist as his hands slid up to her waist, pulling her closer as she leaned against him.

They had reached the middle of the room when a knock at the door made him pause. He turned his head slightly from Rin's neck to glare at it half heartedly. Hoping that whoever it was would leave if he ignored them; Sesshoumaru turned his attention back to Rin and continued to trail soft kisses along her shoulders as he made his way to the bed. Unfortunately, there was another knock at the door, more urgent this time and he growled quietly, diverting his course to the door with Rin still in his arms. He reached the door and stood beside it, his face showing his irritation.

"Who is it?" he asked in an irritated tone, determined to make whoever was there pay for interrupting. Rin ran her fingers through his hair gently and he placed a kiss at the base of her throat, momentarily forgetting there was someone on the other side of the door.

"Your father," Inutaisho answered in an equally irritated tone at having been kept waiting.

Sighing softly, Sesshoumaru disentangled himself from Rin and opened the door enough to keep her hidden from view. His father stood on the other side looking slightly annoyed with Izumi beside him.

"Where's Rin?" Izumi asked.

"She's not in any of the guest rooms," Inutaisho added, raising an eyebrow at his son who glared back.

"She got a taxi home after we left the party," Sesshoumaru said flatly, knowing it was a blatant lie, but not caring.

"Oh," the elder Taisho said thoughtfully. "I thought she was going to stay the night."

Sesshoumaru shrugged. "Is that all?"

"What's your hurry?" Inutaisho asked suspiciously.  
"I was going to go to bed when you knocked."

"Ah, sorry for that."

Without another word, Inutaisho wrapped an arm around his daughter's shoulders and walked away, leaving Sesshoumaru standing in the doorway fuming. After frowning at his father's retreating back, he closed the door only to find Rin leaning against the wall just behind the door, her arms crossed. He looked at her for a moment, suddenly anxious and unsure about how to proceed or if indeed she wanted to, but Rin put him at ease with a single smile. The corners of her lips tilted upwards as she looked at him and held her arms out to him in invitation.

Sesshoumaru didn't need to be told twice what that gesture meant and was at her side in an instant, taking her in his arms and lifting her off the ground. Rin giggled softly as she wrapped her legs around his waist again and her arms around his shoulders as he buried his face in the crook of her neck and placing soft kisses along her shoulder again. With her back against the cool surface of the wall and her front against Sesshoumaru's chest, Rin could do little more than pull him closer, but her back arched when his hand crept up her side and brushed the underside of her breast with his fingers. When she arched toward him, Sesshoumaru smirked against her neck and moved his hand further up to cup her breast in his palm. She gasped and let out a low moan as he began kneading it gently.

Eventually, Sesshoumaru pulled away from the wall and attempted to make his way over to the bed as he leaned up to capture her lips. When he reached the bed, slowly he let her slide down onto the soft mattress without breaking the kiss. He lay beside her, leaning over her as he continued to ravish her lips while his hand roamed her body. Slowly his lips drifted back to her neck and his hands stopped at her waist, pulling her closer. Rin's eyes opened when he lay still for a moment.

"Sesshoumaru?" she asked quietly, trying to see his face.

She frowned when there was no response and attempted to sit up, but failed when his arm tightened around her waist. After he didn't reply a second time when she called his name, she began to panic, thinking something was wrong. Struggling for some time, Rin eventually managed to sit up and turned to look at Sesshoumaru. Shaking his shoulder, she earned a low groan for her efforts before she rolled him onto his back. Her eyes widened then narrowed as she found him asleep, looking for all the world as though he had not just been ravishing her lips only moments ago. Sitting up, she looked at him thoughtfully, not sure if she should laugh in relief that nothing was wrong or cry because she clearly failed to hold his attention.

Feeling angry and upset, Rin tried to get to her feet to leave but was stopped as his arm crept around her waist again, pulling her back down beside him as he rolled over in his sleep. Rolling onto her side, she looked into his sleeping face and felt herself calm down. She knew that she had been taking a massive gamble when she returned his first kiss. There was always the thought lingering in the back of her mind that he would cast her aside once the deed was done and she knew that she couldn't handle it if that was to happen, but she couldn't help herself from responding to him.

Sighing softly, she ran her fingers gently through his hair and smiled when he pulled her closer. The knowledge that the great Sesshoumaru Taisho liked to cuddle in his sleep was enough to make her laugh, but she managed to contain her laughter with difficulty. Her upset about him falling asleep so suddenly gone temporarily as she forced herself to put it aside for further consideration another time. Right now, she decided her only option would be to make the best of her current situation.


	4. Chapter 4

"_**Lately she's been missing **_

_**All the nights he held her. **_

_**The music slowly takes her heart**_

_**To another place in time."**_

**~ She Dances With Her Shadow – Blackhawk ~**

**Chapter IV**

It was very early the next morning when Rin somehow managed to creep out of the Taisho household praying that no one would be awake. After a restless night, she eventually couldn't sleep any longer and decided to make an escape, not really feeling up to facing Sesshoumaru seeing as he was bound to be unwell this morning and especially after the embarrassing incident the night before. She heaved a sigh of relief as the taxi into her street and she saw her house come into sight. With any luck Sesshoumaru won't be bringing Izumi to dance class for quite some time, after all, she had only ever seen him come with her once in the three years they had attended the same dance school. Her heart sank as she thought back to the way he had simply fallen asleep the night before and sighed again. She had truly failed as a woman if she couldn't keep him from falling asleep in that situation. Granted he had had a lot to drink so it was quite likely that it was alcohol that had sent him to sleep rather than her, but Rin couldn't bring herself to believe that. It didn't seem possible that Sesshoumaru Taisho had a low tolerance of alcohol, but then it also didn't seem possible that he would've done the things he did last night with her if he hadn't been intoxicated.

Rin stepped out of the taxi, quietly paying the driver and leaving a handsome tip before looking up at her house in the early morning light. No one seemed to be awake yet and she smiled, perhaps no one would notice her creep in. The door opened silently and she managed to get up to her room without anyone finding her. Rin didn't need to hide the fact that she had stayed out all night from her parents because they had no problem with that and they had told her so when they deemed her old enough to no longer have a curfew, but she knew that while her parents didn't have a problem with the situation, her brothers would. Fortunately, since Ren had moved out to live with his fiancée she only had to deal with Jirou's overprotective nature. She hated deceiving him since she knew how much he cared for her, but she couldn't bring herself to tell him where she had really been and what she had been doing. It would end in disaster and heartbreak.

Her bedroom door clicked shut silently behind her and Rin leaned against it, her shoulders sagging in relief. Her eyes flicked over to the clock beside her bed and noticed that all the travelling and creeping about had taken so long that she was lucky she made it home before everyone woke up. It was already 7am and she would have to start getting ready for the day ahead soon.

As Rin sat on her bed, taking off her shoes and make up, she heard the door to the bedroom next to hers open and soft footsteps walk down the hall. She smiled, Jirou's room was right beside hers and he had always been an early riser. Her smile grew as she remembered how he came to use that room. It used to be Miki's, but somehow Jirou had convinced his youngest sister to swap with him so that he could keep an eye on Rin when he discovered that the male population at school were quite taken with her. She shook her head, even if she had had a serious relationship during her teenage years she wasn't foolish enough to bring the poor boy back home to face the wrath of her brothers and probably father as well.

Still smiling at the memory, Rin stepped out of her dress and discarded it carelessly on the floor in favour of pulling on the black nightdress she always slept it. With a quiet sigh, she slipped beneath the covers of her bed and felt warmth envelope her immediately. Rolling onto her side, she set her alarm for an hour's time hoping that after a short sleep she would feel better and the events from the previous wouldn't seem so bad.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

"You were out late," Jirou commented with a raised eyebrow as Rin came through the door after her shower.

"Yeah," Rin turned to the coffee pot and poured herself a cup before sitting beside her brother. "I didn't wake you when I came back, did I?"

"We didn't even hear you come back."

"Perhaps I should take up a career as a ninja then," Rin replied with a vague smile as she sipped her coffee.

Jirou shook his head in amusement. "I think that would end badly for you."

"Probably."

"What are you doing today?"

"I've got dance class at 5pm, but I haven't really got anything planned until then," Rin replied, taking the now abandoned newspaper from her brother's hands.

"Want to come out with me?"

"Where're you going?"

"Just to meet some friends," Jirou said with a shrug.

"What time are you meeting them?"

"Soon."

"Will I be back here so I can go to class by 5?"

"Bring your stuff with you; I'll take you to class."

"Sounds like a plan then," Rin said with a grin.

Rin disappeared for a while and came back with her bag in one hand and her dance kit in the other. Jirou watched quietly as she packed everything neatly into her bag then looked at him expectantly.

"You do know that we're probably just going to sit at one of the guys' houses for most of the day, don't you?" he asked, eyeing her pretty white blouse and black trousers.

"Oh, I know, but I'm not going to change clothes."

"Fair enough." Jirou picked up her bag and swung it over his shoulder and headed for the door.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It was late in the morning when Sesshoumaru finally opened his eyes and the weak winter sunlight was streaming through the windows. Rolling onto his back, he groaned softly as his head pounded and his vision blurred slightly. With great effort, he pushed himself up in his bed, eyes shut tightly as though hoping to close out the pain of his head. When his eyes opened, he saw that he was still dressed in the clothes from the night before although his tie and shoes were missing and he was certain he hadn't had a blanket when he fell asleep the night before. Frowning, he rubbed his forehead gingerly as he tried to recall the events from the night before and then his eyes shot open as images flooded into his mind.

Images of Rin sitting on his lap, her arms around his neck and returning his kisses passionately were swiftly replaced by images of her pressed against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms pulling him close as he ravished her neck. Smirking slightly, he remembered carrying her across the room and lying beside her on the bed, but his smirk faded when he realised that he could remember nothing beyond that. He frowned and tried to remember again, when he failed he knew he was going to have to admit defeat and ask Rin to fill in the details. Slowly and carefully, he turned to look at the space beside him where he assumed she would be, but his eyes widened and his jaw nearly dropped when he found the bed empty except for himself.

Surely she couldn't have gone far? After all, he had told him father that she had gone home the night before. Sighing to himself, he pushed himself out of bed and when the room had stopped spinning, he made his way over to the bathroom to see if she was in there. Finding it empty, he walked back to the bed and sat down with a frown before his eyes landed on the bedside table. A glass of water sat beside the box of tablets he had brought up with him the night before and he knew instantly that he had not done that last night. Evidently Rin had left and somehow he felt disappointed that he wasn't waking to find her beside him as he had initially hoped. Sighing, he decided that he might feel better about the whole situation after a shower.

"It's unlike you to sleep so late," Izumi commented with a knowing smirk as she watched her brother grimace in pain.

"Do I really need to explain why?" Sesshoumaru asked irritably.

"Of course not. By the way, I've got a favour to ask of you."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

"Can you take me to dance class later? Papa's working late and Mama is visiting friends today."

"Fine."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Throughout the day Sesshoumaru found that he couldn't concentrate on his usual tasks and soon became frustrated. His mind kept drifting back to Rin and the night before and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't keep those thoughts from his mind. He knew that attempting to work when his head felt like it was going to split in two wasn't the smartest of ideas and that any work he did he would have to look over the next to make sure he hadn't made any mistakes, but it was supposed to serve as a distraction from his thoughts. Unfortunately for him, the distraction didn't work. Images from the night before kept resurfacing in his mind's eye at odd moments causing him to stop what he was doing and try to push the images away.

Before he knew it, it was time to fetch Izumi for her dance class and that's when a thought occurred to him. The first time he had seen Rin was at one of Izumi's classes, so maybe he could see her again tonight. There were questions he needed answering and he knew that the only person who could answer them was Rin. Now with more motivation, Sesshoumaru sped up and soon saw the house coming into view, Izumi standing on the doorstep.

"What's your hurry?" Izumi asked in confusion as they sped towards the studio.

"No hurry."

Knowing better than to question her brother, Izumi sat silently while Sesshoumaru's mind raced with all the questions he wanted to ask. Out of the corner of his eye he saw his sister looking at him suspiciously and decided that he would definitely have to be careful so as not get her asking questions because he knew from experience that Izumi didn't stop asking until she got an answer. As they made their way into the building, Sesshoumaru was glad that his headache had subsided because no doubt the loud music would definitely not help it.

The bright lights of the studio blinded him for a moment and he paused to look around while Izumi talked to someone she knew. Amber eyes glanced around slowly and then narrowed as he realised that there were more people here than the last time he had been here. At a glance it was easy to see that most of the newcomers were male and Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow at this new development. As he followed Izumi to a table and discreetly looked around once he was seated and found he had a better vantage point from his new location.

Sesshoumaru noticed that most of the males in the room were teenagers like his sister, but that stood to reason seeing as most of the female dancers were teenagers. On the opposite side of the room directly opposite to where he sat, a table of men who were obviously in their twenties were talking quietly as they watched the current class. As his gaze eventually landed on the group of women dancing in the centre of the room and he instantly recognised Rin. Her long hair was tied up in a bun at the nape of her neck and he immediately found himself remembering what it had been like to kiss that slender neck. Slim legs were encased in black tights and hidden under a knee length black skirt and just as before he remembered having those legs wrapped around his waist.

The sound of Akira's voice shouting something and Izumi suddenly getting to her feet brought Sesshoumaru from his thoughts of the night before. He watched as his sister walked out onto the dance floor along with the other girls in her class. Amber eyes followed the youngest member of the Taisho family as she stopped and spoke briefly to Rin who smiled happily before walking away. A slight crease formed on his forehead when he saw her approach a man who had been sitting apart from everyone else. The pair were clearly at ease with each other and the way Rin acted around him made Sesshoumaru's eyes narrow to slits. If he had been unhappy by their exchange, he was fuming when he saw the tall dark haired man wrap an arm around the woman as they left the studio. He sighed. So much for talking to Rin.

Izumi watched the exchange between Rin and the man she knew to be her brother before turning to look at her own brother who also appeared to be watching the siblings intently. She had known that the older woman had caught her brother's attention but had thought that perhaps it was only a fleeting thing, but when she saw them at the party the night before she supposed that she was wrong. In fact, she was suspicious of the pair of them. Sesshoumaru had been acting strange last night when her father and herself had inquired about Rin's whereabouts. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was, but there had definitely been something wrong with him, aside from the fact that he'd drunk too much. Now, as Izumi watched her brother look on as Rin and her own brother left the studio, she felt pity for him as he didn't understand the situation very well. Shaking her head, she spoke to Akira briefly before dashing out the door.

"Rin!"

Rin and Jirou stopped as they stepped outside the building and turned around when the sound of clicking heels on the tiled surface of the corridor met their ears. Jirou looked down at his sister questioningly as he recognised the girl. He didn't know her name, but he had seen her a few times at the classes. Rin shrugged and took a few steps towards the approaching girl and smiled cheerfully. Izumi stopped in front of Rin and paused to catch her breath.

"Is something wrong?" Rin asked, eyeing the younger girl in concern.  
"No," Izumi shook her head hastily, still trying to catch her breath. "I was wondering if I could have your number?"

"Sure, but why?"

"There's something in the show that I need your help with," Izumi replied.

Rin smiled. "Oh sure, I'll help if I can."

"Thanks."

Izumi waved at the pair and headed back inside, mentally congratulating her herself. What she had told Rin hadn't been a complete lie. There were a few aspects to the show that she didn't fully understand that Rin would probably be able to explain easily, but it hadn't been the complete truth either. She could just as easily ask Akira after one of her classes, but that had fortunately not occurred to Rin. What Izumi had really wanted her number for was her brother. It was obvious that the stoic man was completely smitten with Rin and she didn't like seeing her brother as helpless as he looked when he watched Rin and her brother leave the studio. Maybe she could right the number down somewhere and casually leave it somewhere she knew Sesshoumaru would see it? Probably. Would he suspect anything? Unlikely. Izumi smiled as approached the studio and tucked the little piece of paper safely away. Hopefully she could at least be of some help to her brother.


	5. Chapter 5

**AN:**Thank you for all the reviews :) I wasn't really sure about this idea, but I'll pursue it a bit further and see how it goes :) My ideas are just random thoughts and quite a few have failed spectacularly, but I'm glad at least some of them make good reading ^_^ Thank you again!

"_**Love is a lot like dancing;**_

_**You just surrender to the music."**_

**~ Pierce Brosnon~**

**Chapter V**

It had been a couple of days since Izumi had asked for her number and Rin paused as she brushed her hair, thinking over the situation carefully. She certainly had no problems with Izumi having her number, but it did occur to her now that there was no need to give it to the girl. She had claimed that she had questions about an upcoming show, but she had yet to call and get those questions answered. Not only that but she could have asked Akira at the end of that same lesson. Frowning, Rin put down her brush and pulled on her usual short nightdress as she continued to mull the whole thing over in her mind. She paced her room as she braided her hair, preparing for bed and was so caught up in her musings that she didn't notice Jirou standing in the doorway watching in amusement.

"Something bothering you?" he asked after a while when he saw her frown deepen.

Rin jumped in surprise as she turned to find her brother watching her, his amusement replaced by concern. For a moment she was mildly concerned that her nightdress only just reached mid thigh and was rather low cut, but then admonished herself. This was Jirou not some strange man. Besides, he had seen her dressed like this before and there had been no problems. Pushing aside the sudden thoughts of Sesshoumaru that sprung to mind for some reason, she sat down on the bed and pulled her covers over her legs as she looked at her brother.

"Izumi hasn't called," she said thoughtfully.

"That girl form the studio?"

"That's her."

"Why does it bother you?"

Frowning slightly, she looked down at her hands. How was she supposed to say that the girl didn't really need her help? Jirou would probably laugh at her. Rin looked up when she felt the bed dip as he took a seat on the end of her bed, watching her curiously.

"I have the strangest feeling that I've been tricked," Rin murmured, not knowing any other way to say it.

"You're strange sometimes, Rin," Jirou said with an affectionate smile.

A look of annoyance crossed her face when she realised that he wasn't taking her seriously, but soon passed when she heard him sigh. Jirou shifted his position until he was sitting beside her, leaning back against her pillows to stare up at the ceiling. For some reason it was always peaceful in Rin's room. It wasn't just him who thought so as both Ren and Miki would agree wholeheartedly. There was no clutter anywhere in the room and had only the bare essentials. Jirou frowned as he tried to remember the term his mother had used to describe Rin's bedroom. Minimalist, that was it. His eyes widened as he realised what it was about the room that made it so peaceful and relaxing. It was the scent. It wasn't unpleasant, quite the opposite really and it changed from time to time but each one was as comforting as the last. Taking a deep breath, he noted that this time it smelled like mangoes. It had been coconut last time.

Shaking his head slightly, he leaned over and pulled Rin into his arms. In the past, whenever Rin was upset or worried, he would merely hold her as she talked or until she fell asleep. He always watched over her and now was no exception. They were older, but he so no reason why that should change the habits they had developed. Jirou smiled as Rin leaned against him, playing with the end of her braid.

"Don't think too much about it. Maybe she's busy?" he suggested and smiled as he heard her yawn.

"I guess."

"Go to sleep," Jirou said after a moment's silence and squeezed her gently before getting to his feet.

Rin smiled up at him. "Good night."

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

It was a Saturday morning and Sesshoumaru found himself sitting in a car beside his father, step mother and sister, driving somewhere, he didn't know where. Looking out the window, he recognised the neighbourhood, it was one chosen by most of the wealthy families but he knew that it was not inhabited by only wealthy people. Sighing to himself he wondered how he had gotten himself into this situation. Why did he have to visit the family of the man would could possibly be his father's next business partner? What difference did it make to him who the man was? It made all the difference in the world apparently, because he was the successor. Sometimes he wished that he wasn't the eldest and sometimes he was glad that his siblings didn't have to share the same burdens as he did, but today he was wishing the former more than the latter.

"You need pay close attention to this man, Sesshoumaru" Inutaisho was saying and his voice faded into the distance as his son tuned him out, not interested in the slightest about why this man was so important.

"I will."

"Good." There was a pause. "I see we've arrived."

Sesshoumaru didn't reply and stepped out of the car to stand beside his sister in the warmth of the sun. It was unusually warm for early spring, but he shrugged it off. He was simply glad it wasn't winter anymore, that season could be so depressing sometimes. He noted that the house that stood before him was definitely not one that belonged to a wealthy family like his own, but it definitely didn't belong to a pauper. The owner obviously had enough money to live comfortably but without any extravagances. Sighing again to himself, he followed the rest of the family towards the house and waited patiently to be greeted.

A middle aged man with salt and pepper hair answered the door with a broad smile, extending a hand to Inutaisho in a greeting that suggested the two were close friends. Both Izayoi and Izumi received a kiss on each cheek while Sesshoumaru received a firm handshake. Once inside, he looked around discreetly and found the interior tastefully decorated and really quite cosy. The man's wife appeared soon after and greeted them all cheerfully before ushering them through the house to the living room. As they passed through various rooms and corridors, Sesshoumaru noticed that this couple were clearly very family orientated as he saw hints throughout the house that suggested they had several children.

Gratefully accepting the cup of coffee that was offered to him, Sesshoumaru sat down beside his sister on a comfortable leather sofa that looked out over the gardens through the large windows and open French doors. It was pleasantly cool in the house and he found himself relaxing despite how uncomfortable he usually was in these situations. As the two men talked, Sesshoumaru looked out across the gardens and raised and eyebrow slightly as he heard the sound of excited voices and then a splash.

"Ah, excuse the noise," the man said politely, looking slightly embarrassed. "The children are swimming today."

Inutaisho said nothing despite knowing exactly who at least one of the children was. Glancing over at Izumi and Izayoi, he decided that it was probably best not to bore them with business talk.

"Nanami," the man said cheerfully, seeming to be thinking along the same lines as Inutaisho. "Why don't you take the two ladies and Sesshoumaru on a tour of the garden?"

"Certainly," the woman now known as Nanami replied enthusiastically as she got to her feet.

Sesshoumaru resisted the urge to roll his eyes but followed the trio of women out into the garden. Izumi fell into step beside him and gave him a brief smile before joining the older women's conversation. They walked through the garden for what seemed far too long and the conversation was limited to various plants they passed and something to do with fashion, neither of which interested Sesshoumaru very much. The two women seemed to know each other, but that was hardly surprising as they had probably met several times before.

"The children sound like they're having fun," Izayoi commented with a smile as the sounds of splashing and laughed grew louder.

"It's the first time they've used the pool since it as built," Nanami replied and frowned. "I do hope none of them get ill, it seems far too early to be swimming. We've only just come out of winter."

"I'm sure they'll be fine."

The little group came to a stop just a little ways away from the pool that glittered invitingly in the sunlight. Sesshoumaru watched with vague interest as he saw a short girl emerge from the water in a pale pink swimming costume, her short dark hair plastered to her skin. She laughed and started to run away from the pool when a taller, male figure emerged from the water and started after her. Glancing down at Izumi who appeared to be smiling faintly, Sesshoumaru wondered if he could have had relationship like that with his sister if the situation had been different and he hadn't been required to take over the business when his father retired.

"She certainly has grown," Izayoi commented, smiling at the girl who was trying in vain to escape her brother. "Still just as energetic though, I see."

"It's a treat for them all," Nanami said as she tried to explain the girl's happiness. "It's rare for Ren to spend the day with them."

Not really caring why the girl was happy or who Ren was, Sesshoumaru discreetly looked at his watch and almost groaned when he saw that they had only been there an hour. Resigning himself to a long afternoon, he pushed his hands into his pockets and watched as another dark haired male hoisted himself out of the water to sit on the edge of the pool. This one didn't seem as old as the other, who seemed to be around his age, but Sesshoumaru couldn't be sure and he didn't really care. His attention, however, was caught as a feminine figure hoisted herself out of the water to sit beside her brother, unknowingly turning her back on the visitors. Her curvaceous figure made his breath catch in his throat as his eyes roamed over her tiny waist and full round hips. She too had dark hair that was long and tied back in a braid that fell down her back to her waist. Sesshoumaru watched in silent awe as she got to her feet, her black bikini a startling contrast to her pale skin, and stretched.

The two siblings shared a brief conversation as they watched the other two return and plunge headfirst beneath the glittering water. A melodious laugh that definitely came from the older girl sent a shiver down his spine and he suddenly wondered what she looked like. Her sibling got to his feet and took her hand in his, pulling her along behind him until they reached the deeper end of the pool. Shock raced through Sesshoumaru as he recognised the man. It had been the same man he had seen leave the studio with Rin. He felt a flare of irritation at having been brought to this man's home of all places, but his irritation soon faded. The man joined his siblings in the pool and beckoned to the girl who stood on the edge of the pool, her back still to her mother and visitors.

"My, my," Sesshoumaru heard Izayoi say quietly. "She truly is beautiful and to think I only saw her the other night and am only now realising it."

The girl eventually turned around, flipping her braid over a slim shoulder that reminded Sesshoumaru vaguely of Rin for some reason. Shock raced through Sesshoumaru as he looked at the girl and recognised the eyes that twinkled with mischief and the luscious lips that were twisted into a teasing grin. The girl was Rin! Just as he was comprehending the situation, she leapt off the edge of the pool, executing a smooth dive into the water. His eyes widened as he watched the movement, following the slight bounce of her breasts as she dove forward and the way her body disappeared beneath the water. Her siblings laughed and clapped, seemingly not worried that she had yet to resurface. Amber eyes narrowed as they scanned the surface of the water for a hint as to where she was but found nothing. The same eyes widened slightly as the surface of the water broke in the shallow end of the pool as Rin rose to the surface.

Rin closed her eyes and tilted her head to one side as she tried to get the water out of her ears. She could hear her siblings enjoying themselves in the background and smiled slightly. Slowly, she opened her eyes and saw four figures standing some distance away, watching the siblings. Squinting in the sunlight, she focused on the tallest of the group and her eyes widened as brown eyes met amber. She caught her breath and squinted harder, trying to be sure that her eyes weren't deceiving her, but they weren't. Sesshoumaru Taisho was standing a short distance away with his sister, step mother and her own mother. Knowing that she couldn't ignore them seeing as her mother was beckoning her over, she sucked in a deep breath and tried to calm herself as she made her way to the edge of the pool and hoisted herself up. Picking up a towel nearby, she wrapped it tightly around her hips before making her way over to the small group, wringing the water out her braid as she went.

"Hello Rin!" Izayoi said with a fond smile at the woman. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"Very much," Rin replied, trying her hardest to ignore the way Sesshoumaru's eyes were fixed on her. "It's very refreshing."

Izumi glanced at her brother and saw the intensity of his gaze as he looked at Rin. Sesshoumaru never looked at any woman like that. She couldn't understand his fascination with the woman. Hoping to find clues from the object of her brother's affection, she turned her amber gaze to Rin, watching her closely. On the surface, Rin looked calm but upon closer inspection, Izumi could see her hands tremble slightly and the way her smile seemed false and her responses short as though she was trying to end the conversation quickly. So there was something between them! She had been right after all. The only problem now was finding out what caused her brother to look at Rin with such an intenes stare and what caused Rin to be so uncomfortable.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin had not been able to escape her mother that afternoon and found herself in the company Sesshoumaru for the rest of the day. A small relief came in the form of her brothers who each took a seat beside her, aware that the unknown male had his eye on their sister. She was grateful that they didn't try to confront him because she knew that would only make the situation worse as she would have to explain everything to them and she felt that things like that were not the sort to share with her brothers. Ren had been polite as always, even managing to engage Sesshoumaru in conversation at one point which truly amazed Rin, but Jirou remained stubbornly silent. His brow was furrowed slightly and he crossed his arms across his chest as he sat close beside Rin. Every so often Sesshoumaru would lock gazes with him and Rin knew that in those brief but intense moments, Jirou was clearly telling Sesshoumaru that he would be going nowhere near his sister. The corner of her mouth quirked slightly as she thought back to just how close they had been. Jirou would not be amused to hear that.

Eventually, the afternoon came to an end and Rin found herself standing outside front door with her parents while her siblings were changing upstairs. Sesshoumaru looked at her for a long moment and she looked straight back, gathering her courage after a while. Their parents wandered away from their children for a while and Izumi followed them quickly, sensing that there were things between her brother and Rin that needed to be said.

"There are things we must discuss," Sesshoumaru said quietly, looking her straight in the eye.

"Are there?" Rin asked, trying to hold her nerve. She would not run away from this man no matter how embarrassed she felt in his presence now.

"There are."

Rin sighed, knowing there as no escape. "Very well. Meet me for lunch tomorrow and we'll talk then."

"Where?"

"Pick me up from here at 12pm and then we'll decide."

Sesshoumaru nodded. "Until tomorrow then."


	6. Chapter 6

"_**Life forms illogical patterns. **_

_**It is haphazard and full of beauties I will try to catch as they fly by, **_

_**For who knows if any of them will ever return?"**_

**~ Dame Margot Fonteyn ~**

**Chapter VI**

For possibly the first time in his life, Sesshoumaru was nervous as he approached Rin's home the next day. It was exactly midday when he stopped outside the house and found Rin sitting patiently on the front porch. As she made her way over to the vehicle, he leaned over and opened the door. She smiled slightly as she slipped into her seat and soon busied herself with fastening her seatbelt, desperate to find something to keep her from having to look at him. Sesshoumaru watched patiently as she fumbled with the seatbelt, waiting for her to finish so they could decide on their destination. Eventually, her brown eyes rose to meet his and she bit her lip nervously.

"Where are we going?" Sesshoumaru asked as he put the vehicle into motion.

"I don't know," Rin admitted.

"No ideas at all?"

"None. I thought you would probably know more places to eat than me."

"I suppose that's true," he nodded and frowned as he tried to think of a suitable place.

Rin wasn't really expecting him to tell her where they were going, but she couldn't help her curiosity. Alarm ran through her as she saw them heading towards the outskirts of the city. Although the area was meant to be one of the more beautiful areas in the city, it also meant that she was far away from home and completely reliant on the stoic man beside her. With that in mind, she could only hope that discussion went well or she would probably have to find an alternative way of getting home. She looked up when the car came to a stop beside a large, old fashioned building and then looked over at her companion merely shrugged in response.

The pair silently walked into the building and were met by a smiling woman who ushered them over to a table outside overlooking a pond in the gardens. Rin sighed softly and smiled as she looked at the peaceful scene. Who would've thought that Sesshoumaru of all people would know about a place like this? The sound of a glass being down on the table drew her attention back to the man himself and she decided that there was no getting away from the inevitable.

"What did you want to discuss?" she asked casually, taking a sip of her water and carefully avoiding his eyes.

"I think you know very well what I wish to discuss," Sesshoumaru replied, wrapping his long fingers around his coffee cup.

"I suppose I do," Rin sighed. "Where do we start?"

"Where did you go?"

"Home."

"Why?"

"Was I supposed to wait for you to wake up with a pounding headache to discuss everything?"

"Perhaps not discuss immediately, but at least it wouldn't have felt like a one night stand," he admitted, frowning slightly as the words left his mouth.

Rin raised an eyebrow at him and took another sip of water. "A one night stand, huh?"

"That's what I said."

"You really have no idea what happened, do you?"

Sesshoumaru paused, not sure what she meant. He cursed being unable to remember anything and wished that he could so that this awkward moment would not have happened. He sat silently, looking at her in confusion, not sure what to say. However, Rin didn't wait for a reply.

"Did it happen to cross your mind that if it had ended the way you think it did, you would have woken up without your clothes on? You must not have a very high opinion of me if you think I'm the type who enjoys one night stands."

With her little rant over, Rin looked away with a frown as she turned her gaze back to the scenery. Although she was slightly irate at what Sesshoumaru seemed to think about her, she was feeling infinitely better now that she could finally get it all off her chest and move on.

"I don't think you enjoy them," Sesshoumaru said cautiously, slightly on edge after her outburst. "And honestly, that didn't cross my mind and no, I don't know what happened. That's why we're having this discussion."

Sesshoumaru waited patiently for the frown to leave her face and for the response he knew she would give him no matter how upset she seemed to be. He didn't like being the one who caused her distress, but he needed to know what happened and it only seemed fitting for her to know how he felt about the situation.

"I don't like having a gap in my memory," he said quietly, hoping to get a response.

"Well the gap in your memory is entirely your own fault," Rin replied, still not happy with the situation. After a moment she sighed softly and her frown disappeared as her face became serious. "You fell asleep."

"That much is obvious, Rin," Sesshoumaru said, beginning to get impatient.

"No," she said, irritation creeping into her voice. "I mean that you fell asleep in the middle of everything. We got as far as the bed before you passed out."

Shock ran through him and his eyes widened imperceptibly at the revelation. Sesshoumaru Taisho did not pass out from drinking too much. He had never done that ever before and the one time he did, he chose to do it when he was with Rin. For the first time in his life, he was embarrassed, but as glanced at Rin, he knew that he was nowhere near as embarrassed as she was. He couldn't even begin to try and understand how humiliated she must have felt at that moment. A frown creased his brow as he realised that he had probably just blown his chances with this woman.

"I'm sorry," he muttered, raising a hand to rub his forehead as the information sank in.

Rin turned to look at him when she heard his quiet apology. He was frowning and the hand that had been rubbing his forehead now supported his head, giving him a dejected air. She didn't know what he was thinking, but she did know that she didn't like seeing him looking like that. He was a proud and powerful man, sometimes quite arrogant as well, and the way he looked now was just wrong. It was obvious that his apology was sincere and she accepted it, knowing that he couldn't help what had happened. Taking a deep breath, she reached across the table and placed both of her small hands over his free hand. Sesshoumaru stiffened slightly but soon relaxed as he looked up and placed his other hand over hers. Rin smiled gently as she met his eyes and tightened her hands slightly.

"I know you couldn't help what happened," she said quietly. "I shouldn't even be angry, but it was embarrassing, you know?"

"I know," Sesshoumaru replied, lifting a hand to caress her cheek gently, his heart lifting when she leaned into his touch. Maybe he still had a chance.

"Shall we leave?"

Nodding, Sesshoumaru got to his feet and took Rin's small hand in his own when she stood beside him. She smiled radiantly up at him as they made their way back out to the car and stopped beside it. Sesshoumaru opened the door for her, but caught her wrist when she was about to slip inside. Rin turned to give him a questioning look, but squeaked in surprise when her lips were claimed in passionate kiss. Briefly, her eyes shot open wide before sliding closed as she surrendered herself to the sensations he was evoking within her and slipped her wrist from his grasp to entwine their fingers together. Smirking, Sesshoumaru lifted his free hand to her the back of her neck and tilted her head back as he deepened the kiss, pleased when she responded fiercely. Unable to help herself, Rin pressed herself closer against him as she fisted her small hand in his shirt. When they eventually parted, they were both flushed and breathing heavily, but as they stood there they were reminded of the night of the party. Rin smiled up at him and gave a breathless giggle as he smiled vaguely down at her before pulling her close against him.

"This isn't the place," Sesshoumaru said quietly against her hair.

Rin pulled back to look up at him, sending him the questioning look she had intended to give him earlier before he distracted her. Long fingers ran through her hair gently and Sesshoumaru leaned down to press a chaste kiss against the corner of her lips before stepping back and gesturing for her to get into the car. Obediently, Rin did so and waited for and explanation, but when she received none, she knew she could do little more than just wait.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Inutaisho frowned as he sat behind his desk in his office, looking out over the city from the window nearby. It wasn't that he didn't like working at the company's offices, he just felt that he could get a lot more done at his office at home. It was more comfortable than this one and he always worked best in a comfortable environment. Not only that, he didn't like the bank of monitors that stood against one of the walls showing various rooms from the security cameras. He got to his feet and walked over to the monitors and glanced over them briefly. They were good for security he supposed, but he couldn't understand why they had to be in his office especially since he knew that there was another even larger bank of them in the security offices on the ground floor. Shaking his head, he turned to walk away from the screens when an image caught his eye.

His son, Sesshoumaru, had just walked through the building's main entrance. Like himself, Sesshoumaru didn't much like working in this building either, but he was lucky enough to be able to leave whenever he pleased. It was odd to see him in the building, but Inutaisho supposed it was a good sign that he had completed his work and was returning for more. A female figure walked slightly behind him as though struggling to keep up with him. A closer look made his jaw drop as the woman turned out to be Rin and then he noticed that Sesshoumaru was pulling her along, his hand clasped around hers. A smirk crossed Inutaisho's face as he watched them make for the elevator and presumably head for Sesshoumaru's office. He had always hoped that something would happen between the two of them, they were well suited after all, but he didn't know that pushing them together for the duration of the party would lead to this. Wait until Hibiki heard this development! He was sure his friend would be equally delighted. For the moment though, he would keep this to himself and see how it progressed.

A knock at the door caught his attention and he made his way back to his seat as his secretary appeared with yet more paperwork, but even that couldn't dampen his spirit at that moment. He sat down with a broad grin which caused the woman to give him a curious look, but he merely shook his head. Maybe those monitors were a good idea after all.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Rin allowed herself to be pulled along a deserted corridor on one of the uppermost floors of the building and every now and then she would catch a glimpse of the city through a window. She had no idea where they were going or why they were here, but she saw no reason to question Sesshoumaru's motives as he led the way to wherever it was they were going to. Moments later she was pushed into a large office and she gaped as she looked around it. It was enormous. Two small but very comfortable looking sofas sat opposite each other just beside the door and a huge mahogany desk sat in front of the windows with a large leather chair behind it. Slowly she made her way over to the windows and gasped at the view. It was incredible. She jumped slightly when an arm slipped around her waist and she turned around to face the tall man behind her. Sesshoumaru towered over the petite woman and put his hands on her hips, bringing her against him as he leaned down to press his lips briefly against hers.

"What are we doing here?" Rin asked, looking at him curiously.

"It's one place where I can guarantee privacy," he replied in a husky voice and her eyes widened in surprise. "No one will know we're here and we'll have no interruptions."

Instead of pulling away like he expected her to, Rin wrapped her arms around his neck and reached up to kiss him gently. Smirking, Sesshoumaru wrapped his arms around her tiny waist and lifted her off her feet slightly, causing her to giggle. When he set her back on her feet, he claimed her lips hungrily and grunted encouragingly when she responded hesitantly. The passion they had felt between them the night of the party ignited once again like a match tossed into straw. Soon she was pulling him closer as though her life depended on his touch and his hands were roaming her body eagerly. Smirking, Sesshoumaru started to walk forward causing Rin to take steps back until she felt something brush against the backs of her legs. A gasp left her lips as she was suddenly pushed back and felt herself falling before the soft leather of the chair against her skin. Looking up, she saw Sesshoumaru smirk at her before leaning down towards her. A hand cupped her cheek as he captured her lips again, his free hand pushing her legs apart to kneel between them as he brought them closer together.

Rin moaned softly as she felt a hand creeping up her torso beneath her shirt and wrapped her arms around Sesshoumaru's neck. Soon the other hand joined the one at her waist and her shirt was soon slowly lifting as the hands trailed up her sides. Just as his lips descended to her neck, the shrill ringing of the telephone of the desk caught their attention and shattered the silence. Rin stiffened, her head tilted back against the chair and her arms wrapped around Sesshoumaru's shoulders as he paused his ministrations and tilted his head slightly to look at the phone from he corner of his eye, mentally willing it to explode where it sat.

"Guarantee privacy, huh?" Rin murmured huskily, a smile tugging at her lips.

Growling in annoyance, Sesshoumaru continued to glare at the phone for a few more moments, hoping it would stop ringing if he ignored it long enough. Unfortunately for him, the shrill ringing continued and eventually he sighed as he sat back on his heels. Glancing at Rin, he reached for the phone and leaned towards her again, caressing her cheek with his hand.

"What?" he asked gruffly, displeased about the interruption.

"Sesshoumaru?" Izumi' voice came across the line.

"Yes? What is it?" Sesshoumaru wasn't really interested in the response, but knew that since it was his sister, he should pay attention. However, he couldn't resist placing soft kisses along Rin's neck as he waited for a reply.

"Do you mind taking me to dance class tonight?"

"Can no one else do it?"

"No. Papa and Mama are visiting Hibiki and Nanami for dinner tonight."

"And Inuyasha?"

"Working."

Sesshoumaru sighed and sat back again, rubbing his forehead in irritation. "Alright. The usual time?"

"Yes."

"Be ready then."

"Thank you."

Replacing the receiver in its cradle, Sesshoumaru frowned as he looked at the woman who sat before him. She looked truly beautiful with her lips swollen from his kisses, her cheeks flushed and her hair tousled. Looking down, he noticed that her skirt had ridden up her legs, exposing soft flesh to his heated gaze. Sighing in regret, he lifted a hand and ran it along her smooth thigh before looking her in the eye.

"I have to take Izumi to dance class," he said quietly, looking at her sadly.

Rin's eyes widened and she sat up straight in the chair. "I forgot about that!"

"Do you want a lift?"

"What about Izumi?"

"I'll drop you off before collecting her," Sesshoumaru replied with a shrug.

"Thank you," Rin whispered, leaning forward and kissing him softly, before sitting back.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sesshoumaru sighed to himself as he followed his sister into the studio just over an hour later and wished he hadn't had to leave Rin just to come here. On the plus side, he realised that he would see Rin here as he had dropped her off, but what good was just looking when his fingers itched to touch? The afternoon they had spent together had flown by and he wished that he was still with her now. Maybe next time they could find somewhere a bit more private as his hopes of not being disturbed at work had been dashed. Shaking away the thoughts until later, he looked around discreetly as they walked into the studio and frowned slightly at the sight of all the men present again, although fortunately Rin's brother was not among those watching. His sharp eyes soon found Rin and he caught his breath as he watched her move. The long skirt she had worn the last time was replaced by a short one that reached mid thigh and he was secretly glad she wore tights beneath it. As was usual, her feet were strapped into shoes that seemed impossible to dance in, but she somehow made it look easy. Her long hair was tied up in a pony tail at the top of her head, the tips of her hair brushing her shoulder blades as she moved.

"You're staring," Izumi observed quietly from her seat beside him.

"Hm."

The younger girl raised an eyebrow. "Look, I know you're trying to keep whatever's going on a secret, but if you keep staring at her like that it's going to be obvious to everyone."

There was no response but Izumi knew her brother heard her. He knew he was staring, but he couldn't help it. After their far too brief encounter that afternoon, he couldn't get her out of his mind and being in the same room as her but unable to touch or speak to her was like torture to him. It was especially hard since he knew what it was like to have those slender arms wrapped around him and those full, enticing hips swaying against him. He heard Akira shouting something about a final dance before Izumi's class and paid her no mind. He didn't care about what dance they were practicing as long as he could watch Rin, but was soon regretting those words when Rin took the floor with one of the men from the sidelines.

Rin smiled slightly at a tall dark haired man who got to his feet and made his way to the centre of the room, dusting himself off as he went. The man returned the smile and Sesshoumaru's blood began to boil at the obvious desire in the man's gaze when he looked at Rin. The woman herself was either oblivious to it or was ignoring him, but which ever it was, the man didn't seem to be the kind to give up easily. Sesshoumaru eyed him through narrowed eyes as he made his way to stand opposite Rin.

"That's Bankotsu," Izumi said quietly, leaning towards her brother as she tried to adjust her seat to watch what promised to be a spectacular performance. "He's the lead male dancer, one of the best in the city apparently. Rin must've made a big impression on Akira if she's been partnered with him. He's a ladies man though and I've heard Rin has turned him down every time he's asked her out."

When the dancers were in place, Akira turned on the music and sat down to watch as everyone looked on, anticipating something brilliant from the two adults. While Bankotsu slowly advanced on her like a predator stalking its prey, Rin stood in place, a hand on her hip and her other arm stretched out towards him in invitation to come closer. When he came within reach, Bankotsu pulled her close as one of her legs came up to wrap around his waist briefly as she leaned against him, before stepping back and turning away to walk sensuously forward. With a series of turns, Bankotsu stood beside her once again, slipping into place just behind her as she looked at him before raising her arms above her head and twirling slowly, swaying her hips as she moved while his hands slid down her sides to rest on her hips. Rin stopped when her back was pressed against his front and his right arm slid across her stomach, holding her firmly in place. She entwined her fingers with the hand on her stomach before lifting the other arm to his neck behind her while his free hand slid slowly up her thigh as they swayed sensuously together, seemingly joined at the hips.

Still holding his hand, Rin twirled away from Bankotsu until they stood side by side, hands linked between them. There was a brief pause before he pulled her back towards him, spinning her quickly as he let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her, leaning down to one side so she almost lay across his bent knee with her arms around his neck, pulling his head down to hers as though for a kiss. Gracefully, Rin was put on her feet again and Bankotsu slid an arm around her waist, capturing her hand in his as he took several steps forward, swaying his hips enticingly against hers as he moved. After moving back and forth several times, Bankotsu placed both hands on her hips and lifted her up, taking rapid steps backward as he did so before allowing her to slid down the length of his body until her feet touched the floor. Once again a masculine arm slid around Rin's slim waist, pulling her close as the simple steps from only moments before were replaced by quicker ones that entwined their legs together as they somehow managed to move across the floor as easily as though they were walking.

Then the music slowed, signalling the dance coming to an end and the pair swayed slowly together, arms wrapped around each other in a manner reminiscent of two lovers sharing a stolen moment they wished would last forever. Slowly, Rin twirled away from him once more only to be pulled back and lifted off her feet again. Bankotsu lifted her easily as she wrapped her arms around his neck before the position shifted until she had both legs wrapped around his taut waist. The spinning pair finally slowed to a stop and Bankotsu leaned forward as Rin let go of his shoulders to lean back towards the floor, her fingers touching the cool surface as he laid his head against her, still holding her as close as the position would allow as the music faded.

There was silence throughout the room for a moment before a burst of applause rang through the room, shattering the momentary silence. The pair smiled happily and left the floor in search of a drink while Akira grinned cheerfully and looked very pleased with the performance. Izumi sat still in her chair, not sure what to say to her brother who now watched Bankotsu with narrowed eyes. Sesshoumaru looked ready to commit murder. The performance was incredible and the sheer sensuality behind it had sent a shiver down her spine. She looked up as the chatter in the room dulled and several of the older dancers headed towards the door, their classes over for the day. One of the last to leave was Rin and Izumi watched closely as the woman pulled a long skirt over her tights and a blouse over her leotard before slipping her feet into her shoes and making her way towards the exit. As she passed their table, Rin looked over at them and smiled, making eye contact with Sesshoumaru for a fraction of a moment before waving and leaving.

"Go after her," Izumi said after a moment of watching Sesshoumaru staring at the door Rin had just left through. "My class is starting now."

Sesshoumaru watched as Izumi got to her feet without another word and headed out onto the dance floor. For a moment he wondered if Izumi's dance was as sensual as Rin's and hoped that it wasn't. It was one thing to watch Rin dance like that, but quite another to watch his sister do the same. Rin's dancing had been amazing, but he hadn't been pleased about who she had had to perform with and unfortunately he could do nothing about it. Taking his sister's advice, he got to his feet and made for the exit nodding as Izumi smiled at him. He all but ran to the building's main exit and his eyes darted around quickly in search of Rin when he stepped outside. A sigh of relief left him as he saw her leaning against the low wall that surrounded the car park, the street lamp a short distance away giving him enough light to recognise her.

"You took your time," Rin commented with a smile as he approached her. "What did you think?"

"It was incredible," Sesshoumaru murmured as he stopped beside her. "I have never wanted a woman so much in my life."

"Well now, that was an unexpected side effect," she said huskily with a grin. "What happens now?"

"Do you have plans for tonight?"

"No."

"Stay with me?"

"Of course, but how do we go about it?"

"I'll give you my address and my key, you go on ahead and I'll follow later."

Rin smiled as she accepted the key and address, she had never done anything like this before and it thrilled her. Suddenly the urge to touch him was overwhelming and she stepped towards him, not caring if there were any witnesses. Lifting her hands to his shoulders, she pulled him down to her and gave him a gentle, lingering kiss that made him want to take her home there and then. She stepped back with a smile before picking up her back and walking away into the darkness.

Sesshoumaru sank down onto the wall with a sigh as he watched her disappear into the distance. There was something about that woman that he couldn't get enough of. Something about her that made him lose control of himself and made him crave her more than he had craved any other. He smirked as he got to his feet to walk back inside, mentally running through a list of things he was going to do when he finally had her in his arms with no more distractions or interruptions. Tonight she would finally be his.


	7. Chapter 7

"_**Fate comes a'knockin' **_

_**Doors start lockin'**_

_**Your old time connection **_

_**Change your direction."**_

**~ Same Old Song & Dance – Aerosmith ~**

**Chapter VII**

"Nanami! Nanami, where are you?" Hibiki exclaimed excitedly as he walked through the house quickly in search of his wife.

The man rushed through the house, looking around downstairs for his wife. Frowning impatiently when she was nowhere to be found, he headed upstairs where he found her sitting in their bedroom, mending one of Miki's shirts. Grinning broadly, he strode into the room and sat down beside her on the bed, causing her to look up in surprise.

"What're you doing home so early?" Nanami asked her husband in surprise before leaning over to place a kiss on his cheek.

"I have news, Nanami! Very good news," Hibiki replied excitedly, taking her hands in his.

"What news is this?"

"You remember Sesshoumaru? Inutaisho's eldest son?"

"Yes."

"He was seen going into his office yesterday with Rin and he was holding her hand!"

Nanami raised an eyebrow at her husband. "Where did you hear this from? Don't you think Rin would have told us if she was seeing someone?"

"Inutaisho saw it himself! He told me this morning. I'd have told you earlier but I was in meetings all morning."

"Well, if Inutaisho saw it then I suppose it must be true," Nanami said cautiously, not wanting to excite her husband further. "After all, he'd have no reason to lie."

"Exactly! This is brilliant! I'd never thought our little Rin would catch Sesshoumaru's eye," Hibiki carried on happily, pride shining in his eyes as he spoke of Rin. "Where's Rin?"

"I haven't seen her since last night," Nanami replied, picking up her sewing again. "She came home after dance class, showered and said she was going out for the night. I haven't seen her since."

"Maybe she spent the night with him! Oh this is brilliant! My little girl will get married!"

"Now, now, don't get carried away, dear. We don't know what's going on, so don't jump to conclusions."

As Hibiki tried to argue with his wife and continue to fantasise about his daughter's personal life, neither him nor his wife noticed the figure that stood frozen in place on the landing just at the top of the stairs. When Miki had come home from school, she had initially intended to run in and greet her mother as she always did, but the conversation she overheard made her stop. Rin spent a night with a man? And with the one who had visited the house only a couple of days ago? The teenager frowned as she thought over the idea, making her way over to her bedroom. She didn't really like the idea very much since she didn't know the man, but maybe she could get an answer from Rin. However, her idea was already flawed when she overheard that Rin wasn't around. Frowning again, she made her decision and hurried into her bedroom.

"Miki? Is that you?" Nanami asked a few minutes later as she heard movement in the hallway downstairs. She got up and looked down the stairs to see her youngest child pulling on a jacket by the front door. "Are you going somewhere?"

"Yeah. Sorry I didn't tell you."

"Don't worry, dear. Don't be late home."

Waving, Miki hurried out the door and down the street towards the nearest bus stop that would take her directly into the city. After what seemed like hours on the bus, she stepped off and looked up to see the building she had been looking for only a short walk away. Gathering her courage, she quickly made her way towards it, determined to find out what was going on.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sesshoumaru sighed as he leaned back in the chair behind his desk, frowning slightly at all the paperwork that lay on the desk in front of him. He truly had no inclination to do any of it, especially when his attention kept drifting back to the events of the night before. It had been a struggle for him not to race Izumi home in his desperation to get to his own apartment. The apartment had been completely dark when he got home and he had cautiously closed the door behind him when he stepped inside, not sure what to expect. After walking down the small corridor to his living room, his eyes had widened when they landed on the figure lying on his sofa. Rin was beautiful in everything she wore, but he swore that she had never looked as beautiful as she did now, clothed in only a very short and very thin, almost transparent black nightdress. Her long hair cascaded down over her shoulders and her legs were crossed elegantly, a high heeled shoe hanging off one of her feet.

Catching his breath, Sesshoumaru could do little else but stare at her for a moment before coming to his senses and sitting beside her, hungrily claiming her lips with his own as his hand ran up her bare leg slowly. After a short while, they sat back, breathing heavily as they gazed lustily at each other. Rin lifted a hand to his face, running her finger gently across his lips before rising gracefully to her feet and picking up the keys to the apartment that she had deliberately left in plain view. Also getting to his feet, Sesshoumaru followed her as she walked to the corridor he had just come from and stopped at the front door, locking it with an audible click. Turning to look at him, she leaned against the door and dropped the keys onto the small table nearby, smiling radiantly. Unable to hold himself back any longer, Sesshoumaru hastily walked towards her and lifted her off her feet, wrapping her slender legs around his waist as he took her lips again and his hands held her waist tightly.

When Rin moaned quietly, he knew he could wait no longer and slowly started making his way down the corridor to his bedroom, pressing soft kisses against her neck as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He smirked when he heard a soft gasp leave her lips as she felt herself laid back against the cool fabric on the bed. Their eyes met and they both knew there was no turning back as clothes were shed and they exchanged passionate kisses as hands roamed over bare flesh. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smile to himself as he heard Rin moan in the most sensual way as his hands trailed down her body slowly while his lips pressed soft kisses across her chest, moving ever closer to her full breasts. Her eyes closed as her small hands tangled in his long hair, pulling him closer as her back arched. Eventually, when he could take no more, a gentle hand had pushed her legs apart as he settled between and a large hand cupped her breast as he ravished her lips.

The shrill ringing of the phone on the desk in front of him brought Sesshoumaru from his memories with a start. He frowned slightly at having been pulled back to reality when what he remembered happening next was the best part of the memories. Sighing, he could only hope that it wouldn't be too long before new memories replaced the ones he's been pulled from. Lifting the phone, he brought it to his ear and grimaced as he knew his secretary rarely used the phone to contact him unless it was serious.

"Yes?" he asked, his voice cold, barely disguising his irritation.

"Sir, you have a visitor."

"I wasn't expecting anyone," he replied, wondering who could be visiting. "Who is it?"

"A member of the Ishikawa family, sir."

"Send them in."

Sesshoumaru sighed and rubbed his eyes wearily. He had had very little sleep the night before and as he thought of it, he couldn't help but grin slightly before pushing the thoughts away. The Ishikawa family were important to the company and although Sesshoumaru didn't know why they would want to speak with him and not his father, he knew he couldn't turn them away when they came specifically to him. No doubt Hibiki Ishikawa would come through the door with a smile. Watching the door carefully, his jaw almost dropped when a short young woman with dark hair stepped through instead. She looked around cautiously before stepping in, closing the door behind her and slowly walking forward. As she approached Sesshoumaru recognised her instantly. It was none other than Rin's younger sister. What could she possibly want with him?

"Sesshoumaru Taisho?" she asked quietly, her voice as soft as her sister's.

"Yes." He got to his feet and nodded a polite greeting before gesturing for her to sit down. "Have we met?"

"I'm Miki Ishikawa."

"Ah, Hibiki's daughter," Sesshoumaru said quietly, leaned back in his chair still pondering why she was here. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Miki straightened in her seat and lifted her head, her eyes flashing in a way that made him very curious. For such a young girl she was a striking beauty. Her short, dark hair swayed as her head moved and her dark eyes clearly showed that she was not intimidated by him as he had initially expected. Strangely enough though, there was no resemblance to Rin at all.

"Do you know where my sister is?" Miki asked seriously, watching him carefully.

He stared at her in mild confusion before it was replaced by wariness. "Forgive me, but why would I know where your sister is?"

"She stayed with you last night, didn't she?"

There was silence as Sesshoumaru could only stare at the girl in amazement. He had never spoken to her and yet she knew what had happened the night before. How was that possible? Had someone seen them? Looking closely at the younger girl, he could see there was no ill intent, only concern for her sister. Sighing to himself, he sat up straight.

"How old are you, Miki?" Sesshoumaru asked, raising an eyebrow as he watched her shocked expression.

"17."

"And how old is your sister?"

"22."

"Do you really think it's appropriate for you to know the details of your sister's private life when there is such an age gap?"

Miki raised an eyebrow. "I know what you're suggesting, but I'm not asking what it was you did to pass the time."

"That's good," Sesshoumaru smirked, beginning to like the girl. "You wouldn't like the response."

"My sister and I share many things, but I honestly hope she never divulges anything of that sort to me."

"Putting that aside before you become too mentally scarred," Sesshoumaru said casually, smirk still in place. "What was it you wanted? It strikes me as odd for a 17 year old to speak of such things with a man they have only just met."

Miki shrugged. "Do you know where Rin is?"

"I have not seen her since this morning. If she is not at your home then I can only assume she is still at mine."

"You openly admit it, finally," Miki teased with a grin.

"I gain nothing from hiding the obvious from you."

"So it wouldn't bother your at all if I happened to mention this discussion to either of my brothers?"

Sesshoumaru frowned. "I suppose that would be inconvenient."

"Very," Miki grinned again. "You wouldn't be allowed anywhere near her. But don't worry, I won't tell them."

"And what must I do in return?"

"Who says I want anything?"

"It seems the most logical conclusion. You're doing something for my benefit therefore I must return the favour."

Shrugging, the girl smiled slightly. "Well, if you want to do that then I can think of something you can do for me."

"What would that be?"

"Rin's very precious to my brothers and I, especially Jirou. He's not afraid to challenge anyone so consider this a friendly warning before I tell you my request. I'm pretty sure he wouldn't hesitate to break your legs or do something equally awful if he found out about what you did last night."

Sesshoumaru raised an eyebrow. "I appreciate the warning. What is your request?"

"Look after my sister. She's been through enough without a broken heart to add to the list. I will speak of this to my brothers if I hear you've done anything to upset Rin."

"Point taken."

Miki tilted her head slightly and looked carefully at the silver haired man who seemed to be unruffled by her warnings and threats. In her opinion, that made him trustworthy. It was pretty obvious to see why Rin had fallen for him, even she had to admit he was gorgeous, but definitely not her type. Serious men never did anything for her and this one was more serious than most she had met through her father. She shook her head and smiled at him as she got to her feet.

"I like you," she said quietly, watching in amusement as he blinked in surprise at the compliment. "I think you'll keep your word."

Sesshoumaru smirked and got to his feet, walking around the desk to tower over the teenager, realising in amazement that she was slightly taller than her sister. She was an amusing girl, but he couldn't help but be touched by how much she cared for Rin. He put a hand on her shoulder and smiled briefly, the smile disappearing almost as quickly as it had come.

"Thank you," he replied as they walked to the door. "I hope that we can be friends, I do not wish to make enemies of Rin's family."

"I'm sure everyone will love you when you eventually tell them. Jirou and Ren will just have to deal with the fact that Rin can't give them all her attention anymore," Miki said with a smirk. "And yes, I hope we can be friends too."

"You are welcome to come by again if you wish."

"Really?"

"I cannot be your friend if I do not know you, can I? Besides, there's much I can learn from you."

"Well then," Miki grinned and Sesshoumaru began to wonder if maybe he was making a serious mistake trying to befriend this girl. "Lunch tomorrow is your treat."

Sesshoumaru fought the urge to groan as he watched the girl disappear through the door, shutting it quietly behind her. He sank down into his chair again and rubbed his eyes. Truthfully he had been surprised by how much he liked the girl. He had expected Rin's sister to be one of those very feminine women who constantly annoyed him and was relieved to find that she was opposite. Befriending people was not something he did very often, but he knew that if it would benefit his relationship with Rin, then he would gladly do uncharacteristic things if only to ensure their future together. He had no intention of letting her go and he knew that Miki understood that. Somehow Sesshoumaru knew that with Miki's help he could build a good relationship with the family and that was essential. Perhaps treating the girl to a meal every now and then wasn't so bad after all.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Miki's surprise visit to Sesshoumaru's office was soon forgotten and the pair didn't mention the visit to anyone. Sesshoumaru hadn't seen Miki since her visit but had heard from Rin that she was occupied with studying for exams. Thinking back to her behaviour when he had spoken with her, he wondered how the studying was going and how she would fare when it was time to sit the exam. If he was honest, Sesshoumaru had liked Miki and had admired her for coming to a stranger's work place just to discuss his intentions toward her sister. It was not something that just any 17 year old would do, even if they idolised their sister as Miki obviously did. A part of him wished that he had such a close relationship with his own sister, but another part of him was glad that Miki was so accepting of his relationship with Rin. Although they had decided not to reveal it for the time being, Miki had agreed to keep it to herself and had instead left him with a warning about crossing her brothers.

Sesshoumaru shook his head and smirked slightly at the memory of the youngest Ishikawa sibling before deciding that he had spent enough time away from the piles of paper sitting in front of him. It seemed that no matter how long he spent doing paperwork, there was always more waiting to replace what he had already done. He had spent the last week working as hard as possible to finish as much of the tiresome work as he could so he could spend more time with Rin. There was no hurry to finish it as there was no deadlines for it to be done by, but Sesshoumaru didn't like leaving unfinished work even though he made exceptions for Rin which he was sure she wouldn't be pleased about if she knew.

Almost as though it knew he was in need of another distraction so as not to go back to the mountains of work waiting for him, the phone on the desk in front of him starting ringing. Sesshoumaru paused in the act of reaching for the closest folder and stared at it, wondering if the fates were perhaps watching over him today and were giving him the distraction he wanted. After a moment, he reached across the desk and picked it up, bringing it to his ear as he tried to decide which of his colleagues would be asking for help now.

"Yes?" he asked expressionlessly as he picked up a folder and starting flipping through the pages idly.

"Sesshoumaru?"

"Rin?"

"Hi! Are you busy?"

"Not at all, why?" Sesshoumaru knew he was lying through his teeth but he was never too busy to talk to her.

"There's something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?"

"Yes, do you think I can drop by?"

"I'll be looking forward to it."

Sesshoumaru could've sworn he heard her laugh softly before she said goodbye and the line went dead. Her laughter always made him want to smile and he discovered that Rin liked to laugh. Amber eyes landed on the folder he had been looking at when the phone rang and he sighed as he closed the folder, putting it back on the pile that sat beside him and swinging his chair around to look out the enormous window behind his desk. It was only a matter of time before Rin arrived and he knew that while he was waiting for her, there would be no chance of getting any work done as he would be watching the door for her arrival.

He didn't have to wait long as within the hour his secretary was informing him about a visitor. Part of him hoped that it was Rin and not another visit from her sister or anyone else. He had no inclination to see anyone other than her at the moment and he hoped that she would stay for the rest of the afternoon as he hadn't seen her in a couple of days. She had been busy with rehearsals and he had been busy with the mountain of paperwork suddenly dropped on his desk that neither of them had had much free time.

The door opened and amber eyes rose to see Rin slip through and lean against the closed door before smiling radiantly at him. Sesshoumaru rose to his feet and stepped out from behind his desk, making his way towards him but stopped when Rin closed the distance quickly and wrapped her arms around his neck. She smiled as she felt his body tense in surprise, but he soon relaxed and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, smirking as he heard her sigh in contentment.

"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Sesshoumaru asked a few minutes later as he sat behind his desk while Rin perched on the edge of his desk beside him.

"You remember that dance a while ago with Bankotsu?"

"Indeed."

"I'm going to be performing it in the show."

"Oh?"

"Yes, Akira confirmed it today."

"That's good, I suppose, but what does it have to do with me?"

"I want you to come to the show, although I'm sure you were going to anyway because of Izumi."

"I didn't know about the show until you told me."

"Oh!"

"But if you want me to come then I will."

Rin squealed with delight and wrapped her arms around his neck again as he pulled her down onto his lap. After a moment she relaxed against him and loosened her arms as she leaned her head against his shoulder, perfectly content with life at that moment. It felt like this was the way things had always been between them and she wondered what their families would say when the pair finally worked up the courage to tell them. They weren't embarrassed of their relationship and Rin definitely wanted to be open with her family, but they had discussed issues that could affect their relationship and decided best to wait a little while before telling everyone about it. Once they had established a strong relationship, then they would share the news, but not until then.

"Miki says that she likes you," Rin murmured as she snuggled into his chest.

"She did?" Sesshoumaru blinked, wondering how Rin knew about their encounter.

"She'll keep our secret."

"How did you know?"

"I asked where she went that day since she wasn't home when I got back and she told me."

Sesshoumaru grunted in acknowledgement and tightened his arms around her as he buried his face in her soft hair. He had been under the impression that Miki didn't want to tell her sister that she had visited her boyfriend, but he was glad that Rin knew about it. It hadn't felt right keeping any kind of secret from her, even if it was only a small secret.

"When is this show of yours?"

"Tomorrow night."

"How many people will be attending?"

Rin shrugged. "Family and friends of probably everyone performing and just general public. It's being held at the theatre after all."

"I see."

They sat in content silence for a few minutes, each enjoying the other's company until Rin sighed and sat up with a yawn. Sesshoumaru's eyes travelled up her body to rest on her face, watching her as she rearranged her slightly rumpled clothes and smoothed her tousled hair. Her face was slightly flushed and Sesshoumaru couldn't help himself as his hands came up to cup her face and pull her down so he could claim her lips hungrily.

"I wish I could take you home with me," Sesshoumaru said softly when he pulled away.

"I wish you could too," Rin replied as she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek. "You'll have to wait until tomorrow night though."

* * *

With great reluctance, Rin left Sesshoumaru's office and made her way home, all the while thinking of how they would spend the night after the show the next day. By the time she reached her home, Rin was wondering if they would simply spend the evening in bed as they had done the last couple of times she had been to his apartment. Struggling to withhold a giggle, she closed the front door and made her way into the living room here she could hear her father's voice. Peering through the doorway, she saw that the whole family had congregated there and she wondered what was going on. It was rare for the whole family, including Kasumi, to be all in one place.

"Ah, Rin!" Hibiki called as he saw her. "We were waiting for you."

"Were you?" Rin asked in bewilderment as she ventured further into the room. "What's going on?"

"We were discussing the plans for the wedding," Ren said with a tired smile.

Nodding, Rin sat down between Jirou and Miki and looked expectantly at her father, not sure why her presence was required for this meeting to proceed. Hibiki smiled at her curiosity and looked at his wife who nodded encouragingly, although the tight line of her lips suggested that there was something she was not happy about.

"As you know our family and the Taisho family have been friends for many years and thanks to Rin's friendship with their youngest son, the bond has gone from strength to strength over the years," Hibiki said and paused as he chose his next words carefully. "They will be attending the Ren and Kasumi's wedding, so please try and be courteous even if you don't see eye to eye."

Rin carefully avoided Miki's gaze as she considered the implications of that arrangement. It could be a chance for Ren and Jirou to see Sesshoumaru in a different light, although she doubted that either of them would be willing to accept him into the family with open arms. It was worth a try though. Perhaps it would even be an ideal time to inform the families of their relationship if the day went well. Only time would tell.

"That was really all I needed to say," Hibiki said with a smile as he looked at his family. His eyes landed on Rin and his smile grew. "You're all free to go if you wish, but I need to have a word with Rin."

Nobody seemed to pay any mind to the suddenly mischievous glint in the older man's eye and left quietly. Miki somehow managed to convince Jirou to help her study while Ren followed them, complaining that if anyone should help her, it should be him. Kasumi smiled and gave Rin a brief hug as she passed before everyone except Rin and her parents had left.

"Is something wrong?" Rin asked, leaning back in her seat to eye her parents suspiciously.

"Not at all, dear," Nanami said with a fond smile.

"We were just wondering if there was anything you wanted to tell us," Hibiki pressed, his smile becoming a grin as he watched his daughter stare back at him in confusion.

"Well, the show is tomorrow night and it'd be nice if you could come."

"Is that all?" Hibiki asked, looking crestfallen.

"That's all."

"Oh."

"Don't mind your father, dear," Nanami said, rolling her eyes at her husband's behaviour. "He was just hoping to find out that were dating Inutaisho's son. He must have heard wrong."

Rin's eyebrows rose so high they were in danger of disappearing into her hair as she stared at her parents in surprise. When she recovered from her shock, she smiled and excused herself but not before receiving a knowing smile from her mother. Not sure how to interpret that smile, Rin hastily made her way upstairs to her room where she flung herself down on her soft bed and stared at the ceiling as though hoping to find answers there. They had been hoping she was dating one of Inutaisho's sons? Inuyasha was married already which meant that they were talking about Sesshoumaru! She sat up so quickly the room spun around her slightly, but she ignored it and dug through her bag for her phone.

"Hello?" a gruff masculine voice answered.

"Sesshoumaru!" Rin exclaimed breathlessly.

"Rin? Is something wrong?"

"I think they know about us."

"Who?"

"Our parents."

"How could they?"

"My father just asked me if I was dating you."

There was silence for a moment as Sesshoumaru contemplated her words. Eventually, Rin began to wonder if he had hung up when he didn't speak for what seemed liked ages. She was about to speak when she heard his calming deep voice.

"We will simply tell them at the wedding."

"Really?"

"Really."

"You'll still come to the show tomorrow even though our families will be there?"

"Of course."

"Good," Rin said softly, exhaling a sigh of relief.

"Will you be alright?"

"Yes, I was just surprised."

"Call me if you need anything."

"Thank you."

* * *

The next day passed quickly and Rin was surprised when she looked out the window of the dance studio to see darkness already falling. People would be arriving at the theatre by now and she noticed that most people were leaving the studio and heading over to the dressing room at the theatre. Sighing, she walked over to her bag and pulled on her shoes and a long coat before following everyone across the street to the theatre to begin preparing for their performance.

The dressing room she found herself standing in was essentially just a very large room with haphazardly placed mirrors and a small bathroom at the back. Large metal frames stood in neat lines across the back of the room with various costumes hanging off them and bags sat on nearly every available surface. Rin noticed that the younger dancers were queuing up along one side of the room to get their make up done by several of the older women while Akira stood at the door, ushering people inside and directing them towards either the make up queue or the costume queue. The room was a hive of activity and although it looked like chaos, the preparations for the show were running as smoothly as a military operation. Rin smiled to herself as she found a corner near a mirror and pulled a chair up beside it. Everyone seemed to be buzzing with excitement and there seemed to be none of the usual divide between the older dancers and the younger ones. It was nice to see everyone working together for once; it was only a shame it was just for one night.

An hour and a half later, Rin stood in the wings waiting for her turn to go on stage. Bankotsu stood beside her as they both watched the younger dancers perform and Rin smiled as she noted that Izumi was one of the girls currently on stage. Her thoughts soon drifted from the girl dancing to her older brother who was sitting somewhere in the audience, but before she could think too deeply on the subject, Bankotsu's hand landed on her shoulder. She turned to look at him and nodded as he signalled that he was going to take his place on the other side of the stage for their dance. Rin took a deep breath and stepped up to edge of the stage as the younger girls slowly made their way off the stage and the lights dimmed. The bright lighting became red and the lively music became slower as if showing that one part of the show was over and another was beginning.

In the audience, Sesshoumaru's sharp amber eyes picked out Rin's family sitting near his own and wondered what they would think of the dance their daughter and sister was going to perform. The dance had been amazing to watch and he had to admit that the pair played their parts well even though his blood boiled every time Bankotsu touched Rin. Willing himself to remain calm, Sesshoumaru watched as the dancers came on stage and his hands gripped the arm rests of his chair fiercely as he watched it. Part of him wanted to turn away so that he could control his rage over a smug male like Bankotsu touching his woman, but her movements were captivating and he couldn't keep his eyes off her. He breathed a silent sigh of relief with the dance ended and they were joined by the rest of the dancers. It had truly been an incredible finale, but he still wanted to kill Bankotsu where he stood.

An hour later both families stood outside the theatre waiting for Rin and Izumi to appear. When they finally did, they noticed that there was definitely no love lost between Jirou and Sesshoumaru as they stood glaring at each other while Ren tried in vain to placate them both before giving up entirely and focusing his attention on his fiancée who watched the two men with interest. Rin sighed and stopped between Sesshoumaru and Jirou, giving them both a radiant smile as she listened patiently to everyone's excited comments about the show. Jirou's frown became a scowl as he noticed Rin and Sesshoumaru's proximity and was about to say something when Ren simply shook his head, warning his brother not to cause a scene.

"It's been a long time since I was out this late," Ren commented once the excited chatter had died down.

"Are you saying I tie you down?" Kasumi asked in mock indignation as she poked his chest with her finger.

"You know I wasn't," Ren replied with a grin, rubbing his chest where he had been poked before turning to everyone else who was chuckling at the scene. "I have work early tomorrow so Kasumi and I should probably get going."

There were nods of agreement as the group started to go its separate ways. Rin smiled and returned each hug she was given, although she couldn't hide her surprise when Jirou left after claiming that he had was meeting someone. She watched as his motorbike disappeared into the darkness and smiled. That someone was obviously a woman as Jirou was rarely that excited about going anywhere unless it had something to do with a woman. Eventually, only Ren, Kasumi and Rin remained standing outside the theatre with Sesshoumaru and there was a momentary silence as no one knew what to say.

"Well, we should be going," Ren said pleasantly, hugging Rin briefly before nodding politely to Sesshoumaru.

"I'll be a moment," Kasumi said quietly. "I need to talk to Rin about something."

Ren shrugged and turned away, making his way towards the car as he left his fiancée to discuss whatever it was that was so important that it couldn't wait until the next day. Unsure about the nature of the talk, Sesshoumaru paused a moment before starting to turn away to go to his own car, but was stopped when Kasumi shook her head with a smile before taking Rin's hands in her own.

"I hope you two will be very happy," she said quietly, her smile growing as she looked from one shocked face to a slightly curious one. "Ren will be more accepting than Jirou and I'll see that he doesn't try to interfere with his usual protective older brother routine."

Kasumi winked at the bewildered pair before making her way towards the car where Ren waited. She turned and waved just before she slipped into the car and gave them one last smile before it disappeared. Rin smiled and mentally sent a thankful prayer to which ever deity looked over her at that moment. Kasumi had a calming effect on Ren who, like Jirou, possessed a short temper although he was better at controlling his anger than his sibling. Sesshoumaru looked down when he felt small hands wrapping around his arm and saw Rin smiling up at him.

"She's quite a woman," he murmured. "It seems that she has a lot of influence over your brother."

"She does," Rin replied with a smile as she felt strong arms wrap around her waist. "Ren loves her."

"We have something in common."

"Oh? You love Kasumi?"

"No," Sesshoumaru wrinkled his nose at the thought before bending forward to press a kiss against her lips. "I love you."

Rin giggled. "I love you too."

"We're not going to stand out here all night, are we?" Sesshoumaru asked a few moments later after ravishing her lips. "I'm not very keen on making a public display of what I intend to do with you."

"Is it that bad?" Rin asked teasingly, her eyebrow rising.

"Only if we get caught."

"Shall we stay and hope for the best?"

"No, I'd rather not." Sesshoumaru gave her a smirk as he placed a kiss on the corner of her mouth. "Besides, it might be difficult to explain to our families why we were both arrested for indecent exposure if we haven't told them we are dating."

"True. Maybe we should leave now then. I'd hate to get caught, although I do think that perhaps you should be locked away."

Sesshoumaru paused for a moment and looked down at her. He had heard her words clear as a bell, but he wondered what she meant by them. Her face looked serious although there was a teasingly gleam in her eyes that made him wonder which of the two was the dominant emotion. Knowing Rin's love of humour, it was probably the latter, but he couldn't be sure.

"And why should I be locked away?" he asked, stepping closer to her until she was looking up into his face.

"Because you're so good looking that it should be criminal," Rin recited, her face remaining straight for only a moment before succumbing to her giggles at the silly statement.

"Perhaps it should be the other way around," Sesshoumaru suggested as he leaned towards her.

"I don't think so," she replied, still trying to control her laughter.

"I do."

Without another word, Rin was ushered towards his car and was soon speeding off into the night towards his apartment where he intended to show her how beautiful he thought she was.


	9. Chapter 9

"_**The past can't see you, but the future is listening."**_

**~ Destin Figuier ~**

**Chapter 9 **

After the performance that both Rin and Izumi had participated in, Sesshoumaru found his family seemed to have difficulty in not talking about the performance and it was honestly beginning to get on his nerves. Yes, both of them were brilliant performers and yes, he was proud of both of them, but he had no desire to hear about it all the time. It annoyed him no end when someone would bring up the topic of Rin's duet with Bankotsu. The very thought of another man touching her irked him and the fact that he could do nothing about it made it so much worse. Fortunately, Bankotsu no longer attended the same dance classes as Rin and both Rin and Izumi seemed to have stopped attending class as often as before. This behaviour baffled him, but he supposed that they were merely taking a well deserved break after the show.

Life had gotten a lot better since that performance and he was very glad that everything seemed to have returned to normal. The mountain of work that had suddenly appeared on his desk disappeared slowly but surely. Days were spent working hard at the office while most evenings were spent with Rin and Sesshoumaru couldn't help but wonder why her parents or even her overprotective brother didn't seem to question her absences. Miki already knew what was happening and after Rin's phone call a few weeks before, he could only assume that her parents had a fair idea of what was happening.

The days turned to weeks until eventually, the day of Ren and Kasumi's wedding was fast approaching. Sesshoumaru and his siblings had already been informed that they would be attending the wedding and although he didn't really see a reason why they should all attend, he didn't question his father's decision. Rin was one of Kasumi's bridesmaids and Sesshoumaru could only imagine what she would look like on the day of the wedding. He knew from experience at Inuyasha's wedding that the bridesmaids had looked very pretty. A sudden thought occurred to him as he remembered his brother's wedding and he frowned as he remembered that there had been a bridesmaid who looked remarkably like Rin. Pushing the thought aside, he decided to ask her later if she had been there.

When the day of the wedding finally dawned, Sesshoumaru sighed irritably as he stood beside the car outside the church where the wedding was to be held. Long, slender fingers fidgeted with his tie as he watched other guests drifting through the doors to be greeted by the smiling ushers and to his left he could hear his brother's quiet complaints to his wife about how uncomfortable his suit felt. Sesshoumaru couldn't help but smirk to himself as he heard the complaint. It was common knowledge to everyone in the family that Inuyasha detested formality and being in a suit as he was now was surely torture for the free spirited man and his elder brother could get some satisfaction from the fact that his sibling felt just as awkward as he did. Eventually, Inutaisho and Izayoi came over to where they stood and smiled happily at the sight of their family.

"We should be going inside," Izayoi said with a broad smile as she smoothed Izumi's hair. "We've been given seats near the front of the church, behind the Ishikawa family, I believe."

Heaving a sigh, Sesshoumaru pushed himself off the car he had been leaning against and followed his family inside to their seats, carefully ignoring the looks women sent his way. Ren stood near the altar with his father and brother and smiled, waving slightly as he caught sight of them and Sesshoumaru was sure that the man had a knowing look in his eye that hadn't been there the last time they had met. He then remembered the conversation he and Rin had had with Kasumi and smirked. Perhaps the woman could work miracles after all. Ren certainly didn't seem eager to warn him away from his sister and Sesshoumaru could only wonder what his wife to be had said to him to change his attitude so drastically. Before he could ponder the thought any further, music filled the hall and everyone rose to their feet as the bride made her way towards the altar. Rin and another woman walked behind her and Sesshoumaru caught his breath at the sight of Rin. She caught his eye briefly and her smile seemed to widen before she turned her gaze to the bride.

The ceremony seemed to drag on for far too long, but when he felt boredom taking its toll, Sesshoumaru would simply look to the left of the room and let his amber eyes roam over the slim figure that was Rin. The dress she wore was pale blue and did wonders for her figure. The tight bodice showed off her curves before flaring out into a full skirt that reached her ankles. Her long dark hair was swept up off her shoulders into a neat chignon at the nape of her neck. Sesshoumaru began to wonder when he had seen her look more beautiful, but his mind was soon inundated with images of her in one of his own shirts as she made her way through his apartment and of other more appealing images of her unclothed form beneath his own as she lay in his bed. A small smirk appeared on his face, but he willed the images away as he joined the rest of the crowd in applauding the new couple as they headed towards the doors of the church.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

A short while later, Sesshoumaru found himself sitting at a table with the Ishikawa family and his own as they tucked into their meals. Much to his displeasure, Rin was not sitting beside him, but between Jirou and Inuyasha on the opposite side of the table. The meal passed quickly and soon people were making their way towards the dance floor until only Jirou, Rin and Sesshoumaru remained at the table. Jirou soon excused himself and disappeared towards a table at the back of the room, not casting a backward glance at the pair he had left behind. Rin smiled radiantly at Sesshoumaru from across the table.

"Shall we dance?" he asked, marvelling at her beauty as she sat opposite him.

"When the last little star has left the sky, shall we still be together with our arms around each other?" Rin countered with a smile, tilting her head slightly as she looked at him.

"Hm, you watch too many musicals it seems," Sesshoumaru said with mild amusement as they made their way onto the dance floor.

Rin laughed merrily as she let herself be drawn into his arms and guided gracefully across the floor, oblivious to the attention directed towards them from the members of both their families. Inutaisho patted Hibiki on the back and grinned happily.

"We might soon be arranging another wedding," Inutaisho said quietly, grinning at the sight of his son and Rin. "I was beginning to think he was never going to find anyone."

"Now, now," Izayoi said calmly from beside her husband. "Don't get carried away, they're just dancing."

"I'm sure they'd tell us if there was something going on," Nanami added with a fond smile at the pair.

Ren looked down at Kasumi who tried to hide her giggles as they listened to the wishful fathers and practical mothers. The eldest Ishikawa child looked at his sister with a smile and sighed. Part of him desperately wanted to rip her from Sesshoumaru's arms and protect her from the heartbreak being involved with such a man might bring, but when he looked at the smile on Rin's face, he knew that she was truly happy with the way things were. Kasumi patted his arm and smiled knowingly up at her husband.

"Just be there to pick up the pieces if it goes wrong," she whispered and then smiled at the dancing pair. "Although I don't really think anything will go wrong."

Sesshoumaru didn't know how much attention was focused on both of them as the families spent the evening observing the pair. Each time a man approached Rin for a dance, they watched with bated breath as she smiled and politely refused. The heads of both families had struggled trying to withhold their glee when Rin had fallen asleep at Sesshoumaru's side, her head resting against his shoulder and his arm around her slim waist as he surveyed the remaining guests with vague interest. Eventually, the two men could no longer help themselves and were soon making their way across the room to the pair, their wives in tow. Sesshoumaru looked up as h heard them approach and narrowed his eyes at his father who was grinning widely.

"Is there something you wanted, father?" Sesshoumaru asked coolly.

"Actually," Inutaisho started with a sideways glance at his friend. "We were wondering if there was something you two might want to tell us?"

"I see."

There was silence for a few minutes as Sesshoumaru eyed his father and Hibiki with narrowed eyes, wondering what to say to them. A slight movement at his side caught everyone's attention as Rin's eyes opened and slowly focused on the faces of her father and Inutaisho towering above her. She blinked, slightly confused for a moment before she smiled happily and stood up to hug her father. Hibiki chuckled to himself and returned her embrace before pushing her back into her seat and looking at her with a mischievous gleam in his eye.

"Do you remember, Rin," he started, a smile tugging his lips. "The conversation we had a little while ago?"

"We've had several conversations, father," Rin replied with a smile of her own. "Which one do you mean?"

"Are you sure there's nothing you'd like to tell us?"

"Oh, that conversation. It's not really appropriate to have this conversation here."

Sesshoumaru glanced at her from the corner of his eye. He remembered suggesting that they should tell their parents about their relationship, but he hadn't really expected her to actually take up his suggestion. Rin looked at him and smiled before getting to her feet and stretching.

"Let's go somewhere a bit more private them," Inutaisho said with a grin, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and beckoning Sesshoumaru to follow as they made their way over to the door with Hibiki following closely behind.

"Do you think we need to go with them?" Nanami asked Izayoi with a frown as the watched the little group leave.  
"No. I think we should just leave them to it. No doubt we'll hear about it later."

While the two women remained in the main room, their husbands led their two children away to a smaller room down the corridor. Rin sighed as her father closed the door behind them and wondered if this was really a good idea after all. Sesshoumaru merely shrugged when she looked over at him.

"So, what was it that you had to say?" Inutaisho asked with a knowing smile.

"We've got to tell them now," Rin murmured to Sesshoumaru. "I think they'll burst with excitement if we don't."

"Most likely," Sesshoumaru replied drily before turning to the two men. "We know of your suspicions and we confirm that they are correct."

"Really?" Inutaisho asked, glancing at his friend who had been stunned into silence. "You two are a couple?"

"Is that so hard to believe?" Rin asked with a vague smile as Sesshoumaru wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Why didn't you tell us before now?" Hibiki demanded, looking slightly hurt by his daughter's secrecy.

"Don't be like that, father. It's just that there were obstacles."

"What obstacles?" Inutaisho asked, looking confused.

"My overprotective brothers for a start and Ren and Kasumi were getting married. We couldn't just announce it; it's a special day for them."

Inutaisho looked at his friend who nodded in understanding. It was indeed true that it wouldn't do to for Rin and Sesshoumaru to simply announce their relationship today of all days, but since the day was nearly over and most of the guests had left, Hibiki saw no reason why the rest of the families couldn't be told. It was also true that both Ren and Jirou were very protective of Rin, sometimes ridiculously so, but Ren seemed to have no problem with the couple if he had not immediately intervened when they had danced earlier. Jirou, however, was another matter entirely. He did not have the firm grasp of his temper that his brother did and was prone to letting his temper flare, especially when Rin was involved.

"That is understandable," Hibiki said slowly as he thought over the situation. "Ren is more likely to understand than Jirou, but Jirou may cause a problem. However, the rest of the families need to know."

"Indeed," Inutaisho agreed, his face unusually serious.

Sesshoumaru and Rin slowly followed their fathers as they walked back out to where everyone else was sitting as the last of the guests made their way to the exit. Miki and Izumi were deep on conversation which was surprising given that they seemed to be complete opposites personality wise and what was even more surprising was the young woman who sat beside Jirou. Rin frowned as she looked at the woman, not sure she had met her before pushing the thought aside as the group came to a stop at the table.

"We have an announcement to make," Inutaisho said with a smile as both families turned their attention to him.

"We have had our suspicions about a relationship between Rin and Sesshoumaru," Hibiki said, casting a glance at the pair he mentioned. "They have just told us that our suspicions were correct."

There was silence for a moment as both families took in the information, looking from Hibiki to the couple in question. Nanami and Izayoi simply smiled while everyone else seemed to be in a state of shock over the news.

"Finally!" both Miki and Izumi exclaimed, breaking the silence after a moment.

"It's about time!" Miki said as she got to her feet and went over to the pair.

"It took you long enough," Izumi added, following Miki and coming to a stop in front of her brother who looked mildly amused.

"You knew?" Jirou asked in surprise, frowning at his sister.

"We've known from the very beginning," Izumi said with a smile.

"Actually, we knew about it as well," Ren added.

"Were we the only ones who didn't know about this?" Jirou demanded as he looked at Rin.

"I can't help it if you're slower than everyone else," she replied with a teasing smile.

"Why didn't you tell us sooner?" Nanami asked curiously.  
"We were worried about Ren and Jirou's reactions," Rin said with a slight frown.

"If you're happy then I have no problems," Ren said with a shrug as he looked down at Kasumi who stood beside him. "I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment."

There was laughter throughout the room as everyone watched the happy couple with broad smiles. Jirou, however, frowned slightly as he looked at Rin and Sesshoumaru with narrowed eyes. Rin's smiling face turned to him after a moment and he sighed, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

"I'm not entirely happy about this, but I suppose it doesn't matter as long as you're happy," he said slowly before his frown returned as he looked at Sesshoumaru. "Know this, if you hurt her in any way, I will break your legs and no forensic team will be able to identify you when I'm done with you."

Rin squealed with happiness and ran over to her brother, wrapping her arms around his neck and showering him with kisses. Both families watched in amusement as he protested half heartedly to his sister's display of affection and gratitude. Izumi went back to her seat while Miki still stood beside Sesshoumaru. Shaking her head, she looked up at the tall man beside her and grinned.

"Isn't that what I predicted he would say?" she asked.

Sesshoumaru smirked as he looked at the younger girl and lifted a hand to ruffle her short hair. Miki ducked away and grinned at him again, clearly planning a witty statement, but was cut off when he spoke.

"Your prediction about breaking my legs was indeed accurate," he admitted. "However, you failed to mention the other part about the forensic team."

* * *

After the families went their separate ways, Rin found herself sitting comfortably on the sofa in Sesshoumaru's living room while the man himself sat beside her. She sighed and leaned back against his chest, allowing her head to be tilted to one side as he kissed his way down her neck to her shoulders. A strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer as a large hand splayed across her stomach.

"You know," Rin started and stopped briefly as a moan left her lips. "It's a good thing we told everyone about us tonight."

"Hm."

Silence descended on the room once again as Rin lost herself to the sensations that Sesshoumaru evoked within her. He had the ability to clear her mind with a single touch and his kisses simply blew her away. She still found it hard to believe that after wishing this very man would pay her attention for so long, she was currently wrapped in his arms and was quite clearly being promised a sleepless night. Sighing happily, she relaxed against him.

"Sesshoumaru…"

"Hm?"

"I think I might be pregnant."

Everything stopped in the wake of that statement and Rin shivered as she felt Sesshoumaru's breath on the sensitive skin of her neck. After a little while of him neither moving nor speaking, she began to wonder if he would push her away. Almost as though he knew of her thoughts, the arm around her waist tightened and his large hand gently caressed her stomach.

"Really?" Sesshoumaru asked quietly, pressing a kiss against her neck.

"I think so."

"Things are a little out of order."

"What do you mean?" Rin asked in confusion.

"We should be married before we have children."

"Does the order really matter?"

"Not really."

"You're not upset?"

"No."

Relief washed over her in waves as she sighed softly and relaxed against him once more. Sesshoumaru sat up and pulled her towards him until she sat across his lap and he couldn't help the smile that crossed his face as he looked down at her. She gasped in surprise when he leaned down to ravish her lips, his hand moving to her stomach once again. When he sat back, he looked at her with a mischievous look in his eyes.

"Perhaps we should do something about your uncertainty," he suggested, looking into her flushed face with amusement.

"Like what?" Rin asked, not entirely sure what he meant.

"That is a surprise."

Rin didn't question him any further as he rose to his feet with her in his arms. She smiled at him as she realised that their destination was the bedroom and shook her head. She couldn't even begin to imagine what his surprise entailed, but it certainly seemed that he intended to banish any doubts about her pregnancy. A giggle escaped her lips as she wondered how they were going to explain this to their families.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

**AN: ** I'm not entirely happy with this ending and I may come back to rewrite it at some point. I seem to remember writing the same thing about another of my stories :S

Anyhow, I'm considering a sequel, but I'm not sure about it yet as I still have to start the sequel to Cupid's Arrows at some point as well. Let me know what you think and thank you to everyone who has reviewed this story so far. It's greatly appreciated! :)


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